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PREFACE. 

Many  of  my  friends  have  often  urged  me  to  publish  my  experiences 
and  reminiscences  in  the  field  of  Hypnotism.  In  answer  to  this  demand 
I  herewith  present  this  work  to  the  public. 

On  account  of  the  justified  curiosity  and  great  interest  aroused  by 
these  still  mysterious  phenomena,  I  believe  that  this  book  will  be  of 
service  to  all  interested  in  Hypnotism.  The  burning  questions  of 
Hypnotism  and  its  related  phenomena,  with  all  their  mysticism  and 
perplexity  of  character,  are  exciting  much  attention  and  calling  for 
explanations  among  enlightened  and  thinking  men  and  women  the 
world  over. 

I  have  done  my  best  to  explain,  in  as  clear  and  significant  a  manner 
as  I  can,  everything  connected  with  the  phenomena  mentioned. 

Furthermore,  I  have,  to  the  best  of  my  ability,  endeavored  to  show 
the  relation  of  Hypnotism  to  society — its  significance  morally  and 
legally;  its  importance  as  a  factor  in  medical  science — as  a  new  and 
effective  method  of  cure.  I  hope  sincerely  to  have  met  with  some 
degree  of  success.  If  the  reader  finds  matter  not  only  for  ephemeral 
interest,  but  also  explanations  of  hitherto  more  or  less  unexplained 
questions,  in  the  so-called  occult  realm,  that  will  in  the  future  direct 
his  attention  more  carefully  to  this  subject,  my  ambition  is  attained. 

Little  reference  .is  made  to  all  the  tedious  and  tiresome,  and,  for 
most  people,  well-known  facts  about  Mesmer  and  his  difficulties  with 
the  authorities  in  Vienna,  and  the  report  of  the  Royal  French  Investi- 
gation Committee  about  Mesmer  and  Dr.  D'Eslon.  I  have  named  the 
so  called  Mesmerism  and  Hvpnotism  "  Puysegurian  Somnambulism," 
after  the  French  Marquis  M.  de  Puyse'gur,  because  all  my  inquiries 
have  shown  that  he  was  the  real  discoverer  of  artificial  somnambulism; 
and  we  owe  to  the  untiring  exertions,  the  assiduous  labors  and  the 

published   works  of    this  noble    Frenchman,  the    fact  that    Hypnotism 

iii 


PREFACE. 

lay  is  known  and  appreciated.  I  have  included  everything  thai 
med  to  be  of  interest  to  the  science.  I  have  also  added  soi 
nions  on  this  subject  from  celebrated  European  and  Americ 
Mitists,  editors,  etc. 

That  the  contents  of  this  book  may  the  more  easily  be  understooc 
•e  secured  a  series  of  originally-designed  illustrations,  which  bri 
the  eye,  in  realistic  form,  many  interesting  operations  and  th< 
ults. 

I  take  this  occasion  to  acknowledge  my  great  obligations  to  > 
.il  Bjtfrn,  the  talented  artist  who  has  designed  and  drawn  nearly  , 
the  superior  engravings  which  so  faithfully  illustrate  my  them 
1  so  greatly  beautify  my  book. 

CARL  SEXTUS. 
Chicago,  1893. 


CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

CHAPTER  I. — PuYSEfiURiAN  SOMNAMBULISM. — Hypnotic  Science — Some  Facts 
Relating  to  Its  Discovery  and  Subsequent  Development — How  Subjects  are 
Influenced — The  Tests — The  Curiosities  of  Somnambulism  as  Developed  by 
Skilled  Hypnotists — Its  Use  and  Abuse — Father  Gassner  as  a  Hypnotist — The 
Different  Degrees  of  Hypnotism — The  Hindoo  Science — How  to  Hypnotize 
Animals — The  Advance  of  the  Science — Treatment  of  Diseases 9-32 

CHAPTER  II.— HYPNOTISM  AS  A  REMEDY. — Its  Development  as  a  Science — 
Cures  Claimed  to  be  Effected  where  Ordinary  Medical  Skill  was  Impotent — 
Curious  Limitations  of  the  Operator's  Power — Opinions  of  Specialists — Pater 
Faria  as  a  Hypnotist — Disorders  Removed  by  Suggestion — Is  Hypnotism 
Immoral  ? — Southerners  Easily  Influenced 33-  51 

CHAPTER  III. — HYPNOTISM. — Also  Called  Mesmerism,  or  Artificial  Somnam- 
bulism    

CHAPTER  IV.— HYPNOTIC  METHODS  AND  CONDITIONS.— Special  Remarks  Re- 
garding "  Hypnotism  "  and  "  Phenomena  "  Relating  Thereto — Clear  and 
Practical  Methods  by  which  Hypnotism  May  Be  Produced — A  Double  Con- 
scious State  is  an  Interesting  One  with  Hypnotic  Individuals — A  Striking 
Example  is  that  of  King  Lear — Psychological  Impressions — Important  Sugges- 
tions— Alcoholic  Trance — Strange  Things  that  Men  Do  Under  the  Influence  of 
Drink ; 63-  77 

CHAPTER  V. — HYPNOTISM  DEFENDED. — Popular  Misapprehensions  Concerning 
Hypnotism — The  Dangers  of  Hypnotism  Easily  Avoided  by  Care  on  the  Part 
of  the  Hypnotized — Practical  Value  of  Hypnotism  in  the  Healing  Art 

CHAPTER  VI.— HYPNOTIC  CLAIRVOYANCE.— The  Mystery  Practiced  by  Magi- 
cians of  Egypt — Experiment  in  Clairvoyance — A  Strange  Seance  in  Egypt — 
Extract  from  Lane's  Work  on  Egypt — Author's  Comments  on  the  Above — 
Clairvoyant  Experiments  in  Gothenburg,  Sweden— A  Gypsy  Palmister  Proves 
an  Excellent  Clairvoyant  and  Predicts  for  the  Danish  Royal  Family  Its  Future 
Destiny Sy-  97 

CHAPTER    VII. —  CRYSTAL    VISIONS. —  Marvelous    Experiments    Produced    by 

Looking  Into  a  Tumbler  of  Water  and  a  Plain  Crystal 98-107 

CHAPTER  VIII.— MAGNETS  AND  OD.— Mineral  and  Personal  Magnetism  as 
Methods  of  Cure — The  Art  of  Manipulations  and  Passes  by  the  Hands  on  the 
Diseased  Part  of  the  Hody  and  the  Cure  of  Diseases — Mental  Electricity,  also 
Called  Nerve  Ether  or  Life  Electro- Dynamism 108-124 

CHAPTER  IX. — HYPNOTISM  AND  ANIMALS. — A  Queer  Method  by  which  to 
Magnetize  Serpents,  Employed  with  Great  Success  by  the  Mojowee  and 
Apache  Indians—  Hypnotized  Snakes — Rattlers  and  Copperheads  Magnetized 
or  Fascinated  by  Music— A  Texas  Snake  Charmer— He  Doesn't  Like  Work  and 
Prefers  to  Play  with  Rattlesnakes i^5-'36 


VI  CONTEXTS. 

CHAPTER  X.— HYPNOTIC  MISCELLANIES.— By  George  Lutken,  M.  D.— Testi- 
monial— Hypnotism  and  the  Meaning  and  Use  Thereof,  by  Viggo  Bendz,  M.  D. 
— The  Mysterious  Soul-Power  or  Will-Power;  also  Called  Telepathy  or 
Mental  Telegraphy— Telepathy '37->7S 

CHAPTER  XI.— NATURAL  SOMNAMBULISM  OR  SLEEP-WALKING.— The  Different 
States  of  Somnambulism  and  the  Phenomena  in  Relation  thereto — Idio-Som- 
nainhulism — The  Oracle  and  the  Delphian  Cavern — The  Different  Preparations 
Used— Partly  from  an  Ancient  Author— Nitrous  Oxide — The  Effect  of  Its 
Inhalation — The  Different  States  or  Degrees  of  Somnambulism  in  Connection 
with  Those  of  Natural  Sleep — The  Influence  of  Music  on  the  Somnambulist — 
Interesting  Experiments — The  Instinct  of  the  Somnambulist — Somnambulism 
and  Its  Peculiarities — The  Strange  Effect  of  Spontaneous  Somnambulism  on 
Peculiar  Individuals- Sleep- Walking,  by  D.  Hack  Tuke,  M.  D.,  LL.  D., 
London — Also  by  James  Esdaile,  M.  D.,  Civil  Assistant  Surgeon,  U.  C.  S., 
Bengal,  India — Also  by  Winhart,  the  Well -Known  German  Physician  and 
Scientist — Freak  of  a  Somnambulist — He  Gets  His  Knife  and  Starts  to  Dissect 
His  Room-mate  while  Asleep 179-234 

CHAPTER  XII.  —  INTRODUCTION  OF  HYPNOTISM  IN  CHICAGO.  —  Hypnotism 
Introduced  Into  Weil-Known  Chicago  Residences — It  is  Now  Appreciated  and 
Understood,  Not  Merely  as  a  Means  of  Entertainment;  but  It  is  also  Recog- 
nized and  Recommended  as  a  Method  by  which  Numerous  Diseases  are  Cured 
— Interesting  Cases  Present  Themselves  Daily  at  my  Office — People  Wish,  not 
Merely  Treatment  for  Troublesome  Diseases,  but  also  Apply  in  Order  to  Have 
Their  Talents  Developed  Through  Hypnotic  Influence — Generally  Very  Excel- 
lent Results  are  Reached — Peculiar  Double  State  During  the  Hypnotic 
Condition — The  Facts  Show  that  the  Majority  of  People  Can  Be  Hypnotized — 
If  not  Immediately,  by  the  First  Attempt,  They  Can  Always  Be  More  or  Less 
Influenced  by  Repeated  Experiments — At  Least  Sixty  Per  Cent.  Can  Be  Hyp- 
notized if  the  Right  Method  is  Employed  and  the  Party  Concerned  is  Willing — 
Young  and  Vigorous  People  in  General  are  More  Susceptible  to  Hypnotism — 
Even  in  the  Nineteenth  Century  We  Find  People  in  Chicago  Who  Consider 
Hypnotism  Demoniacal — The  Visible  Symptoms  in  Partial  and  Perfect  Hypnose.  235-278 

PUBLIC  PRESS  COMMENTS.— Chicago  Herald,  January  26,  1890—  Chicago 
Sunday  Press,  November  22,  1891 — Chicago  Sunday  Tribune,  February  23,  1890 
— Progressh-e  Thinker,  June  n,  1892 — Sunday  Inter  Ocean,  January  19,  1890 — 
The  Germania  Monthly  Magazine,  March  7,  1890 — Religio- Philosophical  "Jour- 
nal, February  13,  1892 — Progressire  Thinker,  January  28,  1892 — Nordisk  Folke- 
hlad,  February  23,  1890—  Chicago  Inter  Ocean,  May  9,  1889 — Chicago  Daily 
Herald,  February  7,  \§cjo— Progressive  Thinker,  February  6,  1892 — Chicago 
Sunday  Herald,  August  17,  i^cjo—Dai/y  Skandinaven,  February  23,  1889— 
Chicago  Illustreret  Uffeblad,  February  28,  1889 279-30^ 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

PAGE 

Carl  Sextus  (Portrait; Frontispiece. 

Anton  Mesmer  (Portrait) n 

Father  Gassner  as  a  Hypnotist 13 

Polished  Horn  with  Glass  Prism  in  the  Center 14 

Zinc  Button  with  a  Copper  Wire  Through  the  Center 14 

A  Practical  Modern  Method 15 

The  New  Fascinating  Method 16 

The  Old  Fascinating  Method.     The  Puysegurian  Method 17 

Hypnotized  Lobster— Cataleptic  State 21 

Hypnotized  Hen — Lethargic  State 22 

Hypnotiaed  Hen — Cataleptic  State 23 

Hunter  Hypnotizing  (Charming)  a  Snake 24 

A  Hypnotic  Tea  Party 26 

Prof.  Carl  Hanson,  Hypnotist  (Portrait) 28 

Dr.  John  Bovte  Dodds,  Hypnotist  (Portrait) 30 

Catalepsy  in  Eyelids  and  Hands,  Cannot  Close  the  Eyelids  and  Cannot  Open  the  Hands.  35 

Believes  She  is  Patti 37 

The  Subject  Cannot  Withdraw  His  Hand 39 

Found  His  Long -Lost  Father 41 

-  M.  Liebault,  Professor  of  Physiology  of  Xancy  University,  France  (Portrait) 42 

The  Hypnotized  Dentist  and  Patient 44 

The  Hypnotized  Subject  Supposes  She  is  in  a  Garden,  Picking  Flowers 45 

Pater  Faria  (The  Brahmin)  Giving  a  Hypnotic  Seance  in  Paris 47 

Prof.  J.  M.  Charcot  (Portrait) 54 

Persian  Magic  Mirror 58 

Cabalistic  Magic  Mirror 59 

Chiron  Fascinating  Esculapius,  B.  C.  928 61 

Mr.  F.  W.  H.  Myers,  Secretary  of  the  Society  of  Psychical  Research,  London,  Eng. 

(Portrait) 83 

Magic  Mirror 89 

Bunch  of  Magnetic  Rods,  for  Passes  Over  the  Body — After  Mesmer's  Model 109 

Egyptian  Cabalistic  Magic  Mirror 114 

Modern  Manipulations 116 

Oriental  Manipulations— After  the  Bath 1 18 

Japanese  Magnetic  Healer 120 

The  Good  Samaritan  Pouring  Wine  and  Oil  on  the  Wounds — With  Manipulations 122 

Dr.  Albert  Reibmayr's  Method — Vienna 123 

Charming  Wisely — Frank  Kerr  and  His  Snakes 128 

The  Moorish  Horse  Fascinator  Hypnotizing  the  Horse 131 

An  Egyptian  Snake  Charmer 133 

Brazilian  Turtle  Charmer '. 135 

Prof.  R.  A.  Campbell  (Portrait) 171 

A  Sleep-Walker iSo 

vii 


Vlll  LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS. 

A  Sleep- Walker  Carefully  Avoiding  the  Water-Tub  Placed  at  His  Bedside 184 

Dreaming  About  the  Moon iSS 

Supposed  Witches  in  Auto- Hypnotic  Somnambulistic  State 190 

In    Ecstacv — Believing  Themselves   Flying   Through    the  Air   on    Broomsticks    and 

Having  Communications  with  Satan 191 

Flying  Witches i93-'94 

Pythia,  the  Delphian  Oracle,  Seated  on  the  Tripod  Over  the  Sacred  Cavern 197 

Somnambulist — Playing  While  Asleep 201 

Somnambulist — A  Judge  Tries  a  Case  While  Asleep 203 

Hypnotic  Seance  at  the  Residence  of  Mr.  Robert  Lindblom — The  Fascinated  Subject 

Following  the  Movements  of  the  Operator's  Hand 236 

The  Subject  Has  Forgotten  Her  Name 238 

Drawing  the  Subject  Backwards 240 

Inhales  Water  and  Believes  It  is  Ammonia 243 

The  Subject  Dances  "Ta-ra-ra-bom-de-ay"  with  His  Sweetheart 245 

Hypnotizing  bv  Passes  Only,  Without  Touching  the  Subject 246 

The  Subject  Cannot  Strike 247 

Telling  of  the  Absent 248 

Imitating  the  Hypnotist 251 

The  Happy  Fisherman 254 

The  Subject  Believes  Himself  a  Nurse,  with  a  Baby  in  His  Arms 257 

The  Orator 265 

Face  Muscles  Cataleptic— Cannot  Close  Their  Mouths 267 

These  Colored  Subjects  Had  It  Suggested  to  Them,  While  in  a  Hypnotic  State,  that  at 
a  Certain  Time  in  the  Future,  When  They  were  Seemingly  Awake,  They  Could 
Wash  Themselves  White  with  a  Cake  of  Soap.  They  are  Now  Carrying  Out  that 

Suggestion,  Much  to  the  Amusement  of  Their  Associates 275 

From  Lethargy  to  Catalepsy 282 

The  Somnambulic  State 283 

Cataleptic  and  Somnambulic 284 

Thought  It  Smelled  Sweetly   286 

A  Cataleptic  Hand 287 

Believes  Himself  a  Cripple 288 


PUYSEGURIAN  SOflNAMBULISM. 

HYPNOTIC   SCIENCE SOME  FACTS  RELAT- 
ING   TO    ITS    DISCOVERY     AND  SUBSEQUENT 
DEVELOPMENT HOW       SUBJECTS      ARE       IN- 
FLUENCED  THE      TESTS THE       CURIOSITIES 

OF          SOMNAMBULISM          AS       DEVELOPED       BY 

SKILLED    HYPNOTISTS ITS    USE     AND    ABUSE — 

FATHER    GASSNER    AS    A    HYPNOTIST. 

"There  are  more  things  in  heaven  and  earth,  Horatio, 
Than  are  dreamt  of  in  our  philosophy."  >-j 

It  is  to  one  of  ^M-esmer's  disciples,  the  French  Marquis 
Armond  Jacques  Marc  Chastend  dePuys^gur,  that  the  discovery 
of  animal  magnetism,  or  artificial  somnambulism,  propei 
longs ;  and  it  ought,  therefore,  to  ISe'ai1  the  nam 
JrUimjiambulism.  In  May,  1784,  M.de  Puysegur,  living  in  retire- 
ment onrits  estates  at  Buzancy,  near  Soessons,  employed  his 
leisure  in  magnetizing  peasants,  after  the  manner  of  his  master, 
and  on  one  occasion  he  chanced  to  observe  the  production  of  an 
entirely  new  phenomenon.  A  young  peasant  named  VictoTjjz^ 
years  of  age^jwho  had  been  suffering  four  days  from  inflam- 
rnationTpf  the  lungst  was  magnetized  fnfb  a  peaceful  J»leepr_uji- 
accompanied  by  convulsions  or  other  suffering.  While  in  that 

_     •*•      — » — 

condition  he  spoke  aloud,  and   his  mind  was  busied  about  his 
private    affairs.     It    was    easy  to    change  the    direction    of    his 

9 


X 


10  PL'YSEGURIAN    SOMNAMBULISM. 

thoughts,  and  to  inspire  him  with  cheerful  sentiments — when  he 
became  happy,  and  imagined  that  he  was  engaged  in  rifle  prac- 
tice, or  that  he  was  dancing  at  a  village  fete. 

In  his  normal  condition  he  was  simple  and  foolish,  but  during 
the  crisis  his  intelligence  was  remarkable  ;  there  was  no  need  of 
speaking  to  him  to  enable  him  to  understand  and  reply  to  the 
thoughts  of  those  present.  He  himself  indicated  the  treatment 
necessary  for  his  illness ;  and  he  was  soon  cured. 

This  is  a  brief  account  of  Peasant  Victor's  case.  The  news 
of  his  recovery  was  rapidly  spread  abroad,  and  from  all  sides 
there  came  a  large  number  of  sick  people  demanding  relief. 

The  phenomenon  wasrepeated,  to  the  physician's  delight, 
and  he  wrote:  "  My  head  is  turned  with  joy,  now  that  I  see 
what  good  I  am  doing7n~ 

Dr.  Frederick  Anton  Mesmer  of  Switzerland,  who,  in  Paris, 
performed  ajiurrjber  gf_cMires,  and  caused  an  immense  sensation, 
nevertheless  performed  hisjriires  in  siirrTan  extreme  manner 


that  they  frequently  resulted  in^ausino"  a  hysterical  condition. 
Thestate  into  which  his  patients  were  brought  was  different 
from  the  placidT^Teas^iLLpiiir^shing  somnambulistic  state  that 
Puvsegur  produced  on  his  patients;  and  their  method  of  pro- 
cedure  were  also  very  different. 

Mesmer  did  all  in  his  power  to  produce  an  ecstatic  condition 
or  crisis,  for_through  that  he  was  able  to  cure;  while  Puvsegur 
filter  havmg^bvj-iis  manipulations  discovered  somnambulism,  did 
all  in  his  power  to  avoid  a  crisis. 

It  is^)ossible^that  Mesnier  also  was  acquainted  with  the  state 
Puysegur  produced,  but  it  is  a  fact  that  Mesmer  never  employed 
it  in  his  practice ;  and  he  never  informed  anyone  of  his  knowl- 
edge thereof. 

Puysegur  was  the  first  who  brought  this  discovery  before 
the  great  public.  He  also  taught  several  of  his  disciples  the  same 
method;  consequently,  in  justice  to  Puysegur,  he  should  be 
credited  with  the  discovery  of  Puysegurian  Somnambulism. 


PUYSEGURIAN    SOMNAMBULISM 


II 


At  the  time  that  attention  was  being  called  to  Mesmer  and 
Puysegur  there  appeared  in  Southern  f^rmmTj  Faffrpr  H^ggnpr, 
a  Jesuit  priest,  who  effected  some  wonderful  cures.  His  method 
Consisted  of  the  patientTbeing-  ^ishered  into  a  semfTlark  room, 
and  then,  from  a  portiere,  Father  Gassner~~emerged  with  out-" 
stretched  hands,  carrying  the  crucifix  held  aloft.  Directing  his 
gaze  sharply  on  the  patient,  he  exclaimed  in  thundering  tones 
iiTCatin: 


ANTON     MESMER. 

"Detur  mihi  evidens  signuni  prcestigia  proeternaturalis, 
prcecipio  hoc  in  nomine  Jcsu  f  " — If  the  individual  was  at  all 
^l  susceptible  he  would  fall  into  the  crisis  or  unconscious  state. 

At  a  seance  given  by  Father  Gassner  he  treated  a  young 
wpman,  and  by  means  of  his  strong  voice,Jiis  commanding  tones 
pronouncing  his  string  of  Latin  words,  his  penetrating  look  and 
his  raised  crucifix,  he  put  her  in  a  complete  condition  a  la  Mes- 
mer. His  proper  experiments  now  commenced.  He  cried  out, 
"Agitetur  brachium  sinistrum  t  "  As  he  commanded,  her  left 


1^  PUYSEGURIAN    SOMNAMBULISM. 

arm  commenced  to  move,  at  first  slower,  then  faster.  The 
father  cried  out,  "cessct !  "  and  the  arm  suddenly  become  still. 
"Agitctur  caputf'' — The  woman  flung  her  head  to  both  sides. 
Then  the  father  raised  the  crucifix  again.  The  consequence  of 
this  was  that  she  made  the  most  terrible  grimaces,  and  she 
jumped  around  in  the  room  as  one  possessed.  Suddenly  the 
father  pronounced  "cosset !  "  and  she  became  still  again.  Father 
Gassner  commanded  her  to  speak  Latin.  She  answered:  '•'-Non 
possum"  (I  can't).  He  commanded  that  her  pulse  shall  beat 
very  slow.  Hofmedicus  Bottinger  from  Mergenthal,  examined 
the  pulse,  and  he  declared  that  it  was  beating  very  slowly. 
Father  Gassner  commanded  the  pulse  to  beat  very  quickly,  and 
certainly  it  was  increased  to  fifty  beats  in  the  minute  more  than 
normal  (normal  beating  is  about  eighty).  After  that  the  father 
commanded  her  to  be  very  quiet,  feel  well,  not  to  speak,  not  to 
move  the  muscles  of  the  face,  and  also  to  lie  down  on  the  floor 
to  die,  slowly,  little  by  little,  but  only  for  a  short  time,  when  he 
would  call  her  back  to  life.  Her  pulse  beat  slower  and  slower, 
until  it  could  no  longer  be  felt.  After  a  short  time  of  this  pro- 
cedure, as  commanded,  she  appeared  dead.  Everyone  present 
pressed  around  her  to  examine  her  pulse.  "  She  is  entirely 
dead,"  one  of  them  cried  out.  "  Look  at  the  death  sweat,"  said 
another.  "  The  pulse  no  longer  beats,"  said  Hofmedicus  Bot- 
tinger. After  a  few  minutes  Father  Gassner  cried  out  with  a 
voice  of  thunder,  "  But  now  I  command  you  in  the  Lord's  name 
to  return  to  life."  A  new  examination  by  Hofmedicus  Bottinger 
showed  that  the  pulse  had  commenced  to  beat.  Her  features 
were  relaxing.  She  commenced  to  move,  and  at  last  raising 
Jl££aelf  with  ajrlad  and  delighted  face,  she  declare^~fhaTsTie^fetr' 
herself  releasedfrom~all  those  pains  shehlul  betore  tTTe  treat> 
jTo\y_felt  herself  entirely  well.  As  we  will 
see  Father  Gassner  was  a  cunning  h\  pnotist.  He  knew  how 
to  capturej:he_4iublic_\vith  his__miracleL_  The  good  people^  he 
treated  did  not  know  that  it  was  but  simple  hypnotism.  It  was 


PUYSEGURIAN    SOMNAMBULISM.  [3 

very  natural  that  the  young  girl  and  several  others  he  treated 
should  understand  his  Latin,  as  she  had  been  educated  in  the 
cloister.  Occasionally  he  spoke  German  (the  priest  was  Ger- 


FATHER  GASSNER  AS  A   HYPNOTIST. 

man).     Gassner  was  a  very  wise  man,  much  ahead  of  his  time, 
and  he  took  advantage  of  it.     Among  the  many   powerful  men, 


PUYSEGURIAN    SOMNAMBULISM. 


who  signed  the  narrative  of  this  seance,  I  will  especially  men- 
tion Carl  Albrecht,  Prince  of  Hohenlohe-Waldenburg  ;  Ludvig 
Eugene,  Duke  of  Wurtemberg;  and  Ludvig  Joseph,  Bishop  of 
Freisingen. 

DIFFERENT    METHODS    OF    HYPNOTIZING. 

If  I  wish  to  hypnotize  a  class,  or  to  try  a  larger  number,  I 
use  a  zinc  button  with  a  copper  wire  through  the  centre,  which 
I  request  the  individual  to  hold  in  his  closed  right  hand,  resting 
the  hand  on  the  right  knee.  In  the  left  hand,  which  he  holds 
open,  I  place  a  small  crystal,  set  in  horn,  that  is  polished  to  a 
shining  black,  the  left  arm  and  hand  resting  partly  on  the  chest. 


POLISHED    HORN  WITH  GLASS 
PRISM   IN  THE  CENTER. 


ZINC  BUTTON  WITH  A  COP- 
PER WIRE  THROUGH  THE 
CENTER. 


The  subject  is  requested  to  gaze  continually  and  intently  on  the 
crystal  prism,  and  not  to  undertake  any  motions  whatever,  keep- 
ing the  same  position  in  which  I  place  him,  and  to  fix  his  whole 
attention  on  sleep.  After  a  lapse  of  seven  or  eight  minutes  I 
commence  to  make  my  passes  over  the  subject ;  at  the  end  of 
two  or  three  manipulations  I  command  him  to  close  his  eyes;  I 
perform  one  or  two  passes  more,  from  the  head  downward  to 
the  knee  ;  placing  my  left  hand  on  his  forehead,  then  press  a  cer- 


PUYSEGURIAN    SOMNAMBULISM.  15 

tain  place  with  my  thumb,  at  the  same  time  pressing  with  my 
right  hand  the  subject's  right  thumb. 

Another  and  very  effective  method,  one  1  often  employ 
when  I  hypnotize  one  person — singly,  is  to  let  the  subject  gaze 
fixedly  at  a  lighted  candle  for  about  three  minutes,  held  at  such 
a  height  that  it  requires  considerable  effort  on  the  part  of  the 
subject  to  look  at  it.  The  subject  must  not  wink  the  eyelids 
any  more  than  is  absolutely  necessary,  and  must  draw  the  breath 


A   PRACTICAL   MODERN   METHOD. 

deep  and  in  a  measured  time.  The  subject  is  told  before  com- 
mencing to  hold  the  mouth  open  about  one  inch,  with  the  tongue 
curved,  the  tip  resting  parallel  with  the  lower  teeth.  At  the  end 
of  about  three  minutes  I  raise  the  left  hand  over  the  back  part 
of  the  subject's  head,  and  with  my  fingers  spread  apart,  make 
two  or  three  passes  downward  along  the  spinal  nerves,  after 


i6 


PL'YSEGITKIAN    SOMNAMBULISM. 


which  I  command  the  subject  to  close  the  eyes.  I  then  perform 
one  or  two  more  manipulations  until  full  sleep  is  secured. 

My  third  method  is  the  fascinating  method,  which  consists 
principally  in  making  the  subject  press  his  hands  strongly  on 
mine.  Suddenly  I  push  him  backward  and  quickly  glance  into 
his  eyes.  Surprised  he  recoils,  and  immediately  the  impression 
of  his  eyes  indicates  to  me  his  degree  of  susceptibility.  The 
subject  understands  by  the  sternness  of  the  hypnotist's  eyes  on 


THE  NEW  FASCINATING  METHOD. 

his  that  his  eyes  must  remain  attached  to  the  operator's,  ami 
follow  them  everywhere.  He  thinks  himself  drawn  toward 
him ;  it  is  a  psychical  suggestive  fascination,  and  in  no  wise 
physical. 

There  is  also  the  Donate  method.     The  subject  is  asked  to 
kneel  before  the  operator,  and  to  look  steadily  into   his  eyes. 


PUYSEGURIAN    SOMNAMBULISM.  17 

Standing  before  him  the  operator  places  his  hand  on  the  sub- 
ject's forehead,  and  inclines  his  head  slightly  backward.  As 
soon  as  he  tries  to  straighten  forward  he  directs  at  the  subject's 
eyes  an  imperative  glance  which,  if  he  is  susceptible  to  his  in- 
fluence, hypnotizes  him. 

If  sensitive  persons  are  experimented  with  they  can  also  be 
brought  into  the  hypnotic  state  by  having  them  occupy  a  com- 
fortable position,  closing  the  eyes,  and  keeping  the  right  hand 


THE  OLD  FASCINATING   METHOD.      THE   PUYSEGURIAN 
METHOD. 

closed  tightly  around  their  own  left  wrists.  Then  perform  manip- 
ulations from  the  head  downward  to  the  feet,  for  about  ten  to 
fifteen  minutes. 

These  are  the    visible  agencies  bv  which  the  operator  pro- 
duces  hypnotism  ;  and  it   may  seem   very  easy  ;  but  often   it  is 


l8  PUYSEGURIAN    SOMXA  MIU'MSM. 

very  difficult  to  produce  hypnosis  if  the  conditions  are  un- 
favorable. 

It  follows,  as  a  matter  of  course,  that  the  one  who  wishes  to 
be  hypnotized  must  give  himself  up  completely  to  the  operator, 
and  consequently  follow  the  operator's  instructions,  and  not  en- 
deavor to  work  against  sleep  when  it  commences  to  make  its 
appearance. 

Evcrvbody  can  not  be  a  hypnotist.  To  be  one  requires  a 
strong  and  sound  constitution,  a  determined  will,  and  a  large 
practice  to  learn  to  concentrate  that  will. 

There  are,  of  course,  a  number  of  people  who  possess  con- 
siderable power  in  that  line  if  they  had  it  developed  properly  ; 
and  manv  would  only  waste  their  time  by  devoting  themselves 
exclusively  to  hypnotism  ;  because  if  one  does  not  possess  spe- 
cial ability  in  that  direction  it  will  avail  but  little  to  attempt  it. 
A  person  can  not  make  an  excellent  musician,  singer  or  author 
by  practice  simply;  he  must  necessarily  have  some  talent  as  a 
foundation  upon  which  to  build. 

During  a  hypnotizing  it  is  necessary  to  have  perfect  silence 
in  the  room  where  the  seance  is  held ;  the  temperature  must  be 
moderate  and  normal ;  and  under  no  circumstances  should  there 
be  any  draft  or  tobacco  odor. 

THE    DIFFERENT    DEGREES    OF    HYPNOTISM. 

The  first  degree  of  hypnotism  is  somnolence,  recognizable 
by  a  feeling  of  numbness  in  the  body,  and  light,  stupefying 
symptoms  in  the  head. 

The  second  degree  is  light  sleep.  Persons  in  this  state  of 
hypnose  still  hear  everything  that  is  said  in  their  presence,  and 
have  not  altogether  lost  the  sense  of  feeling. 

The  third  degree  is  deep  sleep.  The  subject  on  being 
awakened  remembers  what  has  been  suggested  to  him  and  per- 
formed by  him  during  the  sleep. 

The  fourth  degree  is  very  deep  sleep.  The  subject's  Own 
individuality  is  completely  isolated.  He  is  only  en  rapport  with 


PUYSEGURIAN    SOMNAMBULISM.  19 

the  hypnotist.  The  fifth  degree  is  catalepsy.  In  this  state  the 
hypnotist  produces  catalepsy  in  one  certain  muscle,  or  certain 
part  of  the  body  where  he  desires  catalepsy  or  lameness  to  ap- 
pear. 

The  sixth  degree  is  somnambulism.  This  condition  presents, 
besides  the  former  degrees  of  phenomena  strengthened,  also  a 
number  of  varied  symptoms.  In  this  state  clairvoyance  is  often 
developed. 

It  is  needless  to  remark  that  it  requires  an  expert  to  be  able 
immediately  to  discern  the  different  conditions,  and  by  his 
knowledge  of  the  science  to  understand  how  to  bring  the  sub- 
ject easily  from  one  state  to  the  other.  This  knowledge  is  espe- 
cially beneficial  to  the  hypnotist  or  physician  who  intends  to 
employ  hypnotism  in  the  curing  of  disease.  There  it  depends 
largely  on  producing  the  conditions  best  adapted  to  the  patient's 
complaint,  and  in  knowing  the  moment  most  opportune  to  gi\^ 
suggestions,  which  are  used  in  the  majority  of  cases. 

Regarding  the  susceptibility  of  hypnotic  influence,  it  is  very 
interesting  to  note  the  great  differences  in  the  percentage  of 
nationalties.  The  first  on  the  list  to  be  mentioned  are  the  French, 
with  about  fifty  per  cent.;  next  come  the  English  and  Scandin- 
avians with  about  forty  per  cent. ;  Germans  about  twenty-five 
per  cent.;  while  of  the  Dutch  there  are  only  fifteen  per  cent.  A 
very  susceptible  nation,  although  far  up  north,  are  the  inhabit- 
ants of  the  Hundred  Islands.  I  have  found  that  about  forty  per 
cent,  of  the  Finlanders  can  be  influenced.  The  conditions  of  the 
climate,  the  mode  of  living  and  degree  of  civilization  certainly 
play  a  prominent  part.  The  Latin  races  are  more  easily  in- 
fluenced than  the  Teutonic  races.  The  South  Americans  are 
more  susceptible  than  the  North  Americans.  In  the  eastern 
countries,  especially  in  the  East  Indies,  the  susceptibility  is 
larger  than  in  any  other  country  on  the  earth  ;  in  fact  the  people 
there  are  all  susceptible  to  hypnotic  influence.  This  we  must 
attribute  partly  to  their  tender,  dreaming  disposition,  and  partly 


2O  PUYSEGriUAN     SOMNAMBULISM. 

to  their  climate  and  their  entire  mode  of  living,  as  well  as  to 
their  education. 

The  fakirs  of  India  have  great  dexterity  in  hypnotizing  ;  but 
then  it  is  an  art  which  they  have  practiced  and  cultivated  for  sev- 
eral thousand  years,  while  we  have  advanced  in  practical  know- 
ledge and  invented  railroads,  steamers,  telegraphs  and  telephones. 

While  the  inhabitants  of  the  East  Indies  never  waste  a 
thought  on  such  matters  as  accumulating  money,  they  cultivate 
their  occult  sciences  and  never  think  of  to-morrow.  Thev  en- 
tertain positive  scorn  for  all  earthly  goods. 

THE    HINDOO    SCIENCE. 

To  be  sure  we  do  not  possess  the  two  thousand  years'  ex- 
perience which  the  Hindoos  have.  The  peculiar  rules  and  doc- 
trines of  the  hypnotizers,  the  Yogis,  are  laid  down  in  several 
holy  books,  especially  in  the  old  Sanscrit  work,  the  "  Yoga 
Satra."  However,  there  have  been  a  few  Europeans  who  pos- 
sessed singular  talent  in  that  direction,  and  during  several  years 
stav  and  association  with  these  learned  men  of  India,  they  be- 
came initiated  into  all  the  mysteries  of  those  who  were  there  the 
cause  of  creating  wonder  and  astonishment  throughout  the  mod- 
ern world  of  Europe,  such  as,  for  example,  the  Count  de  Saint 
Germain. 

HOW    TO    HYPNOTIZE    ANIMALS. 

That  the  majority  of  animals  can  be  hypnotized  is  some- 
thing a  number  of  people  have  onlv  a  very  limited  knowledge 
of,  although  it  is  easily  done,  and  also  of  great  interest  to  all 
who  think  seriously  on  such  matters — especially  for  scientists. 
I  have  experimented  with  quite  a  number  of  the  larger  ani- 
mals, such  as  horses  and  dogs,  and  always  had  complete  suc- 
cess. Some  animals  can  easily  be  brought  into  the  hypnotic 
state.  This  has  long  been  known.  The  bringing  of  animals 
into  the  hypnotic  condition  is  easily  accomplished,  because  the 
methods  are  very  practical ;  we  can  almost  call  them  mechani- 
cal. They  immediately  produce  their  effect;  it  is  not  neces- 


PUYSEGURIAN    SOMNAMBULISM.  21 

sary  to  follow  all  the  rules  such  as  for  hypnotizing  people.  So 
far  as  some  of  the  animals  are  concerned,  it  evidently  plays  a 
prominent  part  that  they  have  a  great  respect  for  us,  who  at  all 
events  to  a  certain  extent  are  the  animals'  god.  As  early  as 
1646,  Father  Athanasius  Kircher  relates  in  a  book  entitled 
"Ars  jWagna  Lucis  ct  Umbra"  that  if  a  cock  with  his  legs 
tied  together  be  placed  before  a  line  made  upon  the  floor  with 


HYPNOTIZED    LOBSTER CATALEPTIC    STATE. 

white  chalk,  he  becomes  at  the  end  of  a  few  moments  perfectly 
motionless;  if  the  string  be  untied  and  he  is  excited,  he  does 
not  issue  from  the  cataleptic  state.  This  experiment  may  be 
of  still  earlier  date,  since  it  has  been  ascribed  to  Daniel  Schreuter 
(1636).  However  this  may  be,  in  many  countries  the  hypno- 
tization  of  poultry  became  a  source  of  popular  amusement. 


22 


PUYSEGUKIAX    SOMNAMBULISM. 


In  1872,  Czermark  carefully  repeated  these  experiments;  he 
hypnotized  a  cock  without  making  use  of  the  chalk  line,  keep- 
ing the  animal  immovable.  He  extended  the  experiments  to  other 
animals,  to  sparrows,  pigeons,  rabbits,  salamanders  and  crabs. 

Preyer,  of  the  University  of  Jena  (Germany,)  whose  treatise 
on  the  subject  is  the  most  complete  that  we  possess,  ascribed 
most  of  the  phenomena  observed  under  the  conditions  to  fear. 
For  instance,  if  a  lizard's  tail  or  a  frog's  foot  is  suddenly 
pinched,  the  animal  becomes  paralyzed,  sometimes  for  several 
minutes,  and  is  incapable  of  moving  its  limbs.  Gentle  and  pro- 
tracted excitement  is  needed  to  effect  hypnosis  of  animals. 


HYPNOTIZED    HEX LETHARGIC    STATE. 

If  the  nostrils  of  a  guinea  pig  are  kept  for  some  time  slightly 
compressed  with  a  pair  of  pincers,  the  animal  becomes  hyp- 
notic, and  is  thrown  into  such  a  stupor  that  it  can  be  placed  in 
the  most  ridiculous  position  without  being  awakened.  This 
arbitrary  distinction  between  catalepsy  and  hypnotism  has  not 
been  generally  accepted.  We  need  only  note  that  many 
animals  can  be  hypnotized  either  by  a  brief  or  strong  excite- 
ment of  the  skin,  or  by  a  repeated  and  fainter  action  of  the 
same  kind.  The  experiments  on  the  frog  are  interesting  and 
easy  to  reproduce.  Ilenkel  has  shown  that  if  a  lively  fro^  is 


PUYSEGURIAN    SOMNAMBULISM.  23 

lightly  held  between  the  fingers,  with  the  thumb  on  the  belly 
and  the  four  fingers  on  the  back,  the  animal  becomes  perfectly 
motionless  at  the  end  of  two  or  three  minutes ;  it  may  be 
stretched  upon  its  back  or  placed  in  all  sorts  of  positions  with- 
out making  any  attempts  at  defense  or  escape. 

The  same  paralytic  state  may  be  produced  by  gently  scratch- 
ing the  frog's  back.  If  a  pigeon  is  placed  on  its  left  side  and 
held  in  that  position  a  couple  of  minutes,  it  will  then  remain 
motionless  until  released  from  the  position  in  which  it  was 
placed. 


HYPNOTIZED  HEN CATALEPTIC  STATE. 

Another  curious  practice  is :  When  a  hen  has  laid  a  number 
of  eggs  in  a  nest  of  her  own  selection  and  has  begun  to  sit 
and  there  is  any  reason  for  transferring  her  to  any  other  nest, 
the  hen's  head  is  put  under  her  wing  and  she  is  swung  to  and 
fro  until  she  is  put  to  sleep.  This  is  soon  done ;  and  she  is  then 
placed  in  the  nest  designed  for  her;  when  she  awakes  she  has 
no  recollection  of  her  own  nest  and  readily  adopts  the  strange 
eggs.  By  means  of  this  process  hens  may  sometimes  be  made 
to  sit  which  have  previously  shown  a  disinclination- to  do  so. 
This  modification  of  instinct  by  suggestion  seems  to  show  that 


PUVSliGUKIAN    SOMNAMBULISM. 


V 


X 

?  !§ 


^ 


HUNTER   HYPNOTIZING    (CHARMING)   A   SXAKK. 


PUVSEGUIIIA.V    SOMNAMBULISM.  25 

the  educational  use  of  suggestion  is  not  so  absurd  as  some 
authors  assert  it  to  be.  Some  species  of  snakes  are  put  in  a 
cataleptic  state  by  a  suddenly  light  touch  of  a  stick  or  by 
light  pressure  between  the  fingers  on  the  neck.  The  interest- 
ing experiment  the  author  has  performed  when  a  school-boy. 
This  cataleptic  condition  will  cease  by  blowing  on  the  neck  of 
the  snake.  (The  reader  will  remember  the  same  method  of 
blowing  is  used  in  relieving  a  hypnotic  person  of  the  catalep- 
tic state.) 

The  snake  represented  in  the  illustration  is  not  venomous, 
and  is  found  generally  in  northern  Europe.  In  the  Scandina- 
vian countries  it  is  called  "  steel-snake,"  on  account  of  getting 
into  this  peculiar  condition.  If  hit  too  hard  it  will  go  to 
pieces  like  glass. 

That  a  number  of  people  can  be  hvpnotized  at  the  same 
time  you  will  see  by  the  following  instantaneous  photograph 
representing  a  tea-party,  where  the  ladies  are  brought  from 
the  somnambulistic  into  the  cataleptic  state  by  a  word,  or  by  a 
motion  of  mv  hands.  They  remain  as  motionless  as  statues  in 
the  position  they  were  when  I  induced  catalepsy.  The  sub- 
jects retain  the  same  position  until  bv  an  exclamation  or  motion 
I  release  them.  In  the  above  condition  subjects  are  always 
found  to  be  unconscious  and  so  completely  under  control  that 
a  lighted  candle  can  be  held  very  close  to  the  open  eye  without 
any  winking  of  the  eyelids  or  contraction  whatever  of  the 
pupils  of  the  eye,  which  in  a  normal  condition  would  occur 
immediately.  I  will  here  remark  that  to  produce  phenomena 
of  a  similar  nature  on  several  persons  at  the  same  time  and 
without  any  wavering  on  the  part  of  the  hypnotist  it  is  neces- 
sary on  several  previous  occasions  to  have  tested  and  thereby 
ascertained  the  subject's  susceptibility  to  hypnotic  inlluence, 
also  that  the  operator  can,  during  the  hypnosis,  bring  the  sub- 
ject from  one  state  into  the  other  where  the  deeper  degrees  of 
sleep  are  produced. 


26 


PUYSEGURIAN  SOMNAMBULISM. 


SIGN    OF    THE     HYPNOTIC    STATE. 

The  most  usual  sign  of  this  state  is  as  follows:     The  eye- 
balls generally  turn  slightly  upward,  the  breathing  has  a  labor- 


A    HYPNOTIC   TEA   PARTY. 


ous  sound,  the  hands  and   forehead  being  a  little  cold,   other- 
wise nothing  abnormal.      Usually  the  temperature    rises,   and 


PUYSEGURIAN    SOMNAMBULISM.  27 

the  pulse  accelerates  about  10  beats  per  minute.  The  phenome- 
non is  interesting ;  in  fact,  it  is  remarkable. 

Let  us  bear  in  mind  the  famous  scene  in  Macbeth : 

DOCTOR  :     You  see,  her  eyes  are  open. 

GENTLEMEN  :     Ay,  but  their  sense  is  shut. 

As  we  know  it  was  toward  the  end  of  the  last  century  that 
Mesmer  discovered  the  germs  of  a  science  which  is  still  in 
embryo,  but  which  had  already  been  perceived  by  Maxwell  in 
1673,  by  Paracelsus  in  the  sixteenth  century,  and  by  Van  Hel- 
mont  in  1630.  [Anton  Mesmer  was  by  nature  a  very  liberal 
man,  and  cured  numerous  poor  people  gratis,  although  by  his 
colleagues  he  was  often  unjustly  criticised.]  Count  de  Saint  Ger- 
main was  in  1769  appointed  French  Minister  and  Ambassador 
to  Copenhagen,  Denmark.  Reports  about  this  peculiar  indi- 
vidual said  that  he  was  not  only  a  clever  diplomat,  but  also 
possessed  a  power  to  fascinate  people,  could  heal  diseased 
parts  by  the  touch  of  his  hand,  and  at  times  was  capable  of 
placing  himself  in  a  clairvoyant  state. 

THE    ADVANCE    OF    THE    SCIENCE. 

But  in  spite  of  the  efforts  of  the  pioneers  in  favor  of  hvp- 
notism,  as  well  as  Mesmer's  and  Puysegur's  persevering 
efforts  later  on  to  bring  hypnotism  to  its  proper  use ,  hypno- 
tism seemed  to  have  been  partly  forgotten,  when  the  French 
physicians,  Du  Patet  in  1821,  and  De  Foissac  in  1825,  brought 
the  subject  up  again,  by  employing  hypnotism  largely  in  their 
practice.  Then  hypnotism  again  dropped  into  oblivion  for  a 
number  of  years. 

The  next  one  to  call  attention  to  it  was  Dr.  James  Braid,  a 
surgeon  of  Manchester,  England.  After  incredulously  wit- 
nessing experiments,  1841,  by  La  Fontaine,  a  French  traveling 
hypnotist,  he  became  interested  in  the  science,  and  later  on 
employed  hypnotism  in  all  cases  possible. 

Following  his   example,  came  Dr.  Esdaile,    Presidency  Sur- 
geon  of    Bengal,  at    Calcutta,    who   employed     hypnotism     in 


28  PUVSEGURIAX    SOMN  A  M  1SUI.ISM. 

nearly  all  his  operations  upon  the  natives  for  six  years,  ending 
1851.  He  performed  no  less  than  256  operations,  some  of 
them  being  very  dangerous. 

Mr.  Carl  Hansen,  the  well-known  Danish  hypnotist,  was 
born  in  Oclense,  Denmark,  in  1833.  As  a  boy  he  magnetized 
others,  an  ability  which  he  inherited  from  his  mother.  When 
a  youth  of  sixteen  years  he  went  to  Copenhagen,  where  he 
continued  his  experiments.  He  relates  that  he  often  succeeded 
in  transferring  his  own  thoughts  and  ideas  to  the  subject  while 
he  was  in  normal  sleep;  so  that  he  dreamt  exactly  the  same 
that  Hansen  was  thinking  of.  In  1853  Hansen  went  to  Aus- 
tralia and  thence  to  Mauritius  and  the  Capeland,  Africa. 
Originally  he  was  a  business  man;  but  he  sometimes  experi- 
mented both  in  public  and  in  private  ;  and  in  the  above  named 
places  he  founded  societies  for  hypnotism.  In  1863  he  returned 
to  Denmark,  and  gave  public  seances — first  in  Copenhagen, 
and  later  on  in  Sweden,  Holland,  France,  Belgium  and  Russia. 
Finally  he  went  to  Germany,  and  though  he  met  with  oppo- 
sition in  many  places,  he  at  last  succeeded  in  convincing  many 
scientists,  psychologists  and  physicians,  Thiers  and  Zollner  in 
Leipzic,  Mathieson  in  Rostock,  \Yeiggert,  Freckner  etc., 
that  he  was  no  pretender.  In  Greifswalde  he  engaged  a  hall 
in  which  he  was  going  to  give  his  lecture  and  seance.  There 
was  a  crowd  of  students  who  crowded  the  hall,  and  when 
Hansen  commenced  his  seance  with  some  introductory  remarks 
about  hypnotism,  they  greeted  him  with  laughter  and  scorn- 
ful shouts.  He  then  said  that  he  always  preferred  to  show  his 
experiments  in  university  towns,  because  in  those  places  he 
could  reckon  upon  a  good  reception  from  the  students,  as  they, 
for  the  sake  of  science,  listened  with  careful  interest.  "  But  after 
this  reception,"  he  added  ironically,  "  I  have  reason  to  suppose 
that  the  semesters  are  closed,  and  only  a  few  students  are  pres- 
ent here  to-night."  Those  words  caused,  of  course,  the  great- 
est exasperation.  They  undertook  to  drive  him  away;  but  he 


PUYSEGURIAX    SOMNAMBULISM.  29 

induced  a  couple  of  those  \vho  made  the  most  noise  to  come 
upon  the  platform  and  submit  to  his  method  of  inducing  the 
hypnotic  condition.  A  tall  fat  fellow,  who  had  been  the 
worst  of  them,  was  soon  brought  under  Hansen's  influence; 
and  he  made  him  in  return  pass  through  the  whole  series  of  the 
well  known  experiments,  such  as  eating  potatoes  as  apples, 
dance  a  polka,  dandle  a  bundle  of  clothes  as  if  it  were  a  little 
baby,  and  finally  to  beg  pardon  for  his  foolish  behavior.  I 
regard  it  unnecessary  to  state  that  the  humor  of  the  audience 
turned  to  the  advantage  of  the  magnetist. 

Mr.  Haiisen,  my  countryman,  is  not  only  a  skillful  magne- 
tizer,  but  he  is,  at  the  same  time,  an  amiable  gentleman.  I 
have  several  times  during  my  travels  had  the  pleasure  of  meet- 
ing this  distinguished  colleague  in  the  field  of  hypnotism;  and 
I  have  then  had  opportunity  to  enter  with  him  upon  many  an 
interesting  conversation  from  which  1  have  derived  much  inter- 
esting and  valuable  knowledge. 

The  well  known  English  physician,  Hack  Tuke,  studied 
with  great  interest  Carl  Hansen's  experiments,  and  described 
them  in  his  book  about  "Natural  and  Artificial  Somnambulism  " 

Hypnotism  received  an  effectual  advance  when  the  prominent 
Parisian,  Dr.  Charcot,  after  Hansen's  seances  in  1869,  in  Paris 
began  his  investigations  that  later  on  proved  to  be  so  satisfac- 
tory, that  he  employed  hypnotism  at  his  hospital,  La  Salpetriere, 
where  he  performed  cures  by  the  thousand.  As  especially  de- 
serving mention,  I  name  Professor  Liebatilt,  professor  of  phv- 
siologv;  Ch.  Richet,  Professor  Bernheim,  Beaunes,  Delboeuf , 
Berjon,  Facachan,  Mabille,  Liegeois,  Forel,  Bremaund,  Chas. 
Fere,  Alfred  Binet.  In  America,  Wm.  B.  Fahnstock,  M. 
D.,  and  the  celebrated  New  York  physician,  Hammond, 
and  John  Bovee  Dods,  who,  in  i8=;o,  ":IVC  :l  Aeries 
of  lectures  on  Hypnotism  in  the  House-  of  Representatives, 
Washington,  D.  C.  The  works  of  Charles  Richet,  1875,  also 
Charcot,  1878,  Paris,  France,  regarding  hypnotism,  were 


30  PUYSEGURIAN    SOMNAMBULISM. 

the  cause  of  considerable  interest  throughout  the  whole  scien- 
tific world. 

We  are  now  justified  in  saying  that  hypnotism  is  established 
and  not  to  be  abandoned  as  long  as  science  exists. 

The  German  physicians,  R.  Hajdenhain  in  1880,  Gruntzen 
and  Bergen  in  1881,  were  awakened  to  the  value  and  interest 
of  hypnotism  by  Carl  Hansen's  seances  in  Leipsic,  Breslau, 
Berlin,  and  other  cities. 

The  reason  why  hypnotism  has  become  properly  recognized 
within  the  last  twenty  years,  is  that  several  scientists  have 
adopted  the  science  with  great  alacrity.  Those  few  who  in 
olden  time  practiced  hypnotism  were  unjustly  criticised  and 
ridiculed,  even  to  the  extent  of  being  completely  shunned  by 
some  of  their  colleagues. 

Now,  I  am  happy  to  say  in  that  regard,  times  have  changed 
for  the  better.  It  is  no  longer  a  crime  to  heal  by  hypnotism. 
But  it  also  requires  a  great  deal  of  earnest  study,  energy,  and  a 
fair  amount  of  natural  qualification. 

A  fact  that  is  not  generally  known  is  that  not  everybody 
possesses  the  gift  to  become  a  competent  hypnotist,  although  at 
the  present  time,  having  the  knowledge  of  the  science  through 
popular  works  and  close  study  of  the  phenomena  by  practical 
hypnotists,  including  some  hospitals  in  Europe,  the  physicians 
have  numerous  opportunities  to  ascertain  the  secrets  of  hypno- 
tism. In  practical,  skeptical  America,  the  physicians  have  now 
commenced  to  evince  more  interest  in  this  science.  It  has 
pleased  me  to  note  reports  in  scientific  journals  in  regard  to 
remarkable  cures  performed  through  hypnotism. 

I  can  readily  comprehend  how  many  of  the  conservatiye  doc- 
tors do  not  follow  the  progress  this  science  has  made  with  very 
pleasant  feelings.  It  is  always  unpleasant  for  certain  people  to 
recognize  what  they  cannot  perform  themselves,  and  as  before 
mentioned,  not  every  one  can  become  a  hypnotist,  be  he  an  M. 
D.  or  not,  if  he  is  without  the  necessary  natural  qualifications. 


PL'YSEGURIAN    SOMNAMBULISM.  $1 

Such  conditions  have  made  it  very  difficult  to  introduce  hyp- 
notism, although  during  my  four  year's  stay  here  in  America 
I  have  personally  had  the  satisfaction  of  curing  a  large  number 
of  sufferers  through  hypnotism,  and  when  the  patients  had 
been  unable  to  derive  any  benefit  from  medical  aid. 

TREATMENT    OK     DISEASES. 

The  diseases  for  the  treatment  of  which  hypnotism  is  espe- 
cially adapted  are  neuralgia,  insomnia,  sick  headache,  morphine, 
alcohol  and  opium  habit,  etc. 

To  the  sensation  my  cures  have  caused  in  Northern  Kurope, 
the  local  medical  journals  can  testify.  While  in  Europe  I  was 
called  on  to  treat  a  member  of  the  royal  family,  and  cured 
the  patient  successfully  of  a  very  disagreeable  nervous  disease, 
in  which  case  medicine  was  proven  to  have  no  effect. 

I  had  also  the  satisfaction  of  being  the  means  of  introducing 
hypnotism  in  Sweden,  1883-84,  where  Chief  Roval  Librarian 
C.  F.  Klemming,  Professor  Anton  Nystrom,  M.  D.,  and  others 
were  the  first  to  study  and  adopt  my  method.  In  Norway, 
1885,  I  also  aroused  the  interest  of  phvsicians. 

In  my  native  country,  Denmark,  in  1886-87-88,  mv  seances 
also  inspired  enthusiasm  for  the  art,  and  I  taught  some  verv 
prominent  physicians  there  —  among  them  George  Lutkin, 
M.  D.,  Viggo  Bendz,  M.  D.,  and  Herman  Schwartz,  M.  D. 
Hypnotism  is  there,  as  in  France,  emploved  extensively. 

During  the  last  thirteen  years,  devoted  entirelv  to  the  science 
of  hypnotism,  I  have  succeeded  in  curing  thousands  of  cases. 

The  great  danger  with  which  hypnotism  is  believed  to  be 
attended  or  followed  is  ridiculously  exaggerated,  and  the  reason 
is,  I  think,  that  many  of  those  who  have  written  on  this  subject 
have  had  very  little  practical  knowledge  of  it. 

There  is  no  danger  whatever  in  hypnotism  when  the  hyp- 
notist makes  it  a  positive  rule  never  to  hypnotize  anybody  unless 
friends  or  relatives  of  the  subject  are  present  as  witnesses,  in  a 


32  1'UVSEGUKIAN    SOMNAMBULISM. 

position  fo  control  \vhat  occurs  and  note  the  suggestions  given 
to  the  subject. 

I  will  here  state  to  all  those  timid  individuals  that  hypnotic 
conditions  cannot  be  used  as  a  mask  by  the  hypnotist  to  commit 
crimes  against  humanity,  as  people  usually  believe.  Because  it 
is  a  fact  that  even  if  the  subjects  are  in  the  deepest  degree  of 
sleep,  thev  cannot  be  compelled  to  do  anything  immoral  or 
criminal — if  the  subject  is  an  honest  and  upright  person.  The 
above  has  been  proven  by  numerous  experiments,  and  the  sub- 
jects who  Tre  hypnotized  positively  refuse  to  obev  where  it  is 
against  their  own  morals  and  character. 

Thev  will  even  awaken  if  anything  verv  disagreeable  is 
suggested. 

Another  very  effectual  rule  can  be  followed  to  the  satisfac- 
tion of  those  hypnotized,  namely,  to  limit  the  hypnotist's  power. 
Let  him  give  the  subject  a  suggestion  during  the  hypnotic 
sleep.  "  You  shall  never  be  placed  under  my  control  without 
being  perfectly  willing,  as  in  case  of  sickness  should  you  desire 
it;  otherwise  it  will  be  impossible  for  me  or  any  other  hypnotist 
to  hypnotize  you." 

After  such  suggestions  it  is  an  absolute  impossibility  to  hyp- 
notize the  person,  even  by  employing  the  most  effectual  meth- 
ods, without  his  or  her  perfect  willingness  to  be  influenced. ' 

In  conclusion,  remember  what  Colton  Lacon  says:  The 
greatest  friend  to  truth  is  time,  her  greatest  enemy  is  prejudice, 
and  her  constant  companion  is  humility. 


CHAPTER  II. 


HYPNOTISn  AS  A  REMEDY. 

ITS  DEVELOPMENT    AS  A    SCIENCE CURES    CLAIMED    TO   BE 

EFFECTED   WHERE  ORDINARY  MEDICAL  SKILL  WAS 

IMPOTENT CURIOUS    LIMITATIONS  OF   THE 

OPERATOR'S  POWER — OPINIONS  OF 

SPECIALISTS PATER  FARIA 

AS    A    HYPNOTIST. 

Hypnotism  (from  the  Greek  word  hvpnos,  sleep)  is  the 
science  of  the  sleep-like  state  which  is  manifested  by  various 
phenomena,  and  is  produced  by  a  special  influence  on  the 
nervous  system  exerted  by  another,  and  also,  though  more 
rarely,  by  spontaneous  action. 

To  put  anyone  into  such  a  state  is  to  hypnotize  that  one. 
The  sleeper  is  hypnotized,  is  in  hypnosis,  is  in  the  hypnotic 
state. 

It  was  James  Braid,  M.  D.,  the  celebrated  Manchester  sur- 
geon and  eye  specialist,  who  named  the  science.  During  his 
investigations  in  mesmerism  he  succeeded  in  accomplishing 
a  number  of  phenomena  similar  to  those  until  then  called  mes- 
merism, after  Frederik  Anton  Mesmer,  but  which  Braid  called 
by  the  new  name  of  hypnotism.  He  commenced  his  investi- 
gations in  November,  1841,  but  did  not  publish  the  results 
until  iS_}3- 

Following  came  Dr.  Azam,  teacher  at  the  school  of  medicine 
in  Bordeaux,  France,  who  published  a  work  on  hypnotism  in 
1860.  Dr.  Azam  had  his  results  witnessed  l>v  two  of  his 

33 


34  HYPNOTISM    AS    A    REMEDY. 

friends,  Broca  and  Verneuil,  who  were-  members  of  the  scien- 
tific faculty  in  Paris,  and  who  later  on  achieved  great  fame. 
Singular  as  it  may  seem,  it  was  by  means  of  this  new  name 
that  the  science  gained  a  new  entrance  into  France,  hypno- 
tism's original  home.  In  June,  1859,  -^]  •  -^zam  was  called  to 
attend  a  young  lady  who  was  supposed  to  have  attacks  of 
insanity,  and  who  displayed  peculiar  symptoms  of  spontaneous 
catalepsy,  anasthesia  and  hyperesthesia.  He  exhibited  the 
patient  to  several  physicians.  One  of  them,  Dr.  Baving,  said 
that  he,  in  an  article  about  sleep,  had  read  that  the  English  sur- 
geon, Braid,  had  discovered  a  remedy  by  which  he  could  produce 
symptoms  that  were  analogous  to  those  noticed  in  the  hysteri- 
cal young  lady.  Azam  procured  Braid's  Neurypnology,  and 
commenced  a  number  of  experiments  that  placed  him  in  a 
position  to  duplicate  the  results  accomplished  by  Braid. 

It  must  be  remarked  here  that  fortune  especially  favored 
him,  for  his  subject  proved  to  be  of  an  unusually  susceptible 
temperament.  He  succeded  in  curing  her  according  to  Braid's 
method,  and  this  encouraged  him  to  further  experiments  in  that 
direction. 

Between  1843  and  1878  there  was  published,  besides  Braid's 
and  Azam's  memoirs,  a  number  of  excellent  works,  of  which 
I  will  especially  mention  Phillip's,  De  Marquais',  Geraud- 
Teulon's,  Charpignon's  and  Liebault's. 

IXVAKIAKLY     FORGET     WHEX     THEY     AWAKE. 

The  French  hypnotist  remarks  properly  :  "The  different 
qualifications  that  I  have  ascribed  to  somnambulism  are  very 
seldom  found  united  in  one  individual  ;  onlv  the  last  (loss  of 
recollection  on  awaking)  is  a  constant  and  particular  evidence 
of  somnambulism." 

There  are  also  somnambulists  whose  eyes  are  open,  who  hear 
very  well,  and  who  are  in  rapport  with  all  the  surroundings  ; 
but  we  must  remember  they  are  only  in  the  second  or  third 


HYPNOTISM    AS    A    REMEDY. 


35 


degree  of  hypnotism  (and  we  know  there  are  six  degrees). 
There  are  others  in  whom  only  one  of  the  senses  are  strength- 
ened, and  who  only  receive  disturbed  sense  impressions,  and 
last,  there  are  those  who  only  speak  or  express  themselves  with 
the  utmost  difficulty.  But  so  far  we  have  not  been  able  to  find 
one  instance  where  the  somnambulist  has  been  able  in  a  waking 
condition  to  recollect  anything  regarding  his  experiences  in  the 
somnambulistic  state. 

The  above  distinction  is  of  more  than  ordinary  importance,  as 


CATALEPSY     IN     EYELIDS    AND     HANDS— CANNOT     CLOSE     THE 
EYELIDS  AND  CANNOT  OPEN   THE    HANDS. 

it  draws  a  perceptible  line  between  the  somnambulistic  expres- 
sion and  dreams. 

All  the  thoughts  we  have  had  while  we  slept,  and  those  we 
remember  on  awaking,  arc  only  dreams.  It  is  consequently 
far  from  the  truth  that  participation  in  somnambulistic  phe- 
nomena tends  to  confirm  the  subject's  belief;  on  the  contrary,  it 


36  HYPNOTISM    AS    A    REMEDY. 

assists  in  banishing  that  belief.  This  explains,  also,  how  some 
celebrated  physicians  in  olden  time  have  been  able  to  establish 
that  the  soul  during  sleep  is  in  a  better  condition  to  describe  the 
diseases  and  to  predict  dangers  that  threatened  the  body. 
They  had,  however,  investigated  somnambulism  quite  thor- 
oughly ;  but  they  had  not  been  able  to  distinguish  the  differ- 
ence between  somnambulism  and  normal  sleep. 

Abbot  Faria,  a  Portuguese  priest  (  Brahmin  he  called  him- 
self), immediately  on  his  arrival  in  Paris  from  India  created  an 
immense  sensation.  "  We  do  not  produce  somnambulism,"  he 
says  in  language  that  is  as  far  from  being  as  elegant  as  his 
own  personal  self,  "  each  time  we  desire  it,  but  only  when  we 
happen  to  find  one  especially  adapted  to  such  conditions  ;  that  is, 
one  who  is  a  natural  somnambulist.  In  these  individuals  we  do 
not  create  the  somnambulistic  sleep,  but  only  develop  their  nat- 
ural tendencies.  The  investigations  we  have  made  in  regard 
to  several  persons,  showing  that  during  the  somnambulistic 
sleep  at  a  certain  distance  they  follow  all  the  movements  of  the 
operator,  are  not  sufficient  to  justify  the  meaning  and  use  of  the 
word  animal  magnetism,  and  there  is  no  legitimate  right  to  asso- 
ciate this  common  expression  with  somnambulism." 

It  was  furthermore  Faria's  opinion  that  the  lethargic  sleep, 
or  somnambulism,  did  not  in  any  way  differ  from  the  normal 
sleep ;  a  conclusion  that  in  our  time  has  been  brought  forward 
again,  but  without  gaining  any  great  number  of  followers. 

That  even  the  ablest  critic  can  be  criticised  Faria  knew  and 
admitted;  and  he  therefore  considered  it  necessary  to  strengthen 
his  doctrine  by  the  statements  of  some  views  from  which  we 
respectfully  dissent.  Doctor  Tourett  sarcastically  remarks  that 
Faria  was  not  skilled  in  medicine ;  but  what  matters  that  ? 
Would  not  the  continuous  existing  theory  concerning  fluids  or 
juices  be  able  to  afford  him  an  explanation?  "Sleep,"  he  says, 
*' has  its  different  degrees ;  the  deepest  sleep  is  what  we  have 
called  somnambulism.  This  exists  onlv  where  the  blood  is 


HYPNOTISM    AS    A    REMEDY. 


37 


universally  easy  flowing,  and,  as  this  condition  has  its  own 
peculiar  degrees,  so  also  has  somnambulism  its  perfection  of 
scales.  Easy-flowing  blood  does  not  alone  effect  the  more  or 
less  deep  sleep,  but  also  its  more  or  less  rapid  appearance. 
Usually  that  state  of  blood  circulation  is  only  evidence  of  weak- 
ness; and  experience  has  taught  me  that  the  loss  of  a  certain 
amount  of  this  fluid  made  somnambulists  of  those  who  had  not 


BELIEVES    SHE    IS    PATTI. 

previously   any   disposition   to   it.     So  here   we   have   the   true 
cause  of  what  we  call  natural  somnambulism." 

Faria  was  probably  not  altogether  wrong,  for  we  see  that  in 
females — and  it  is  usually  they  who  are  most  easily  hypnotized 
— we  very  often  find  a  distinct  anomi  (loss  of  blood).  Never- 
theless, it  is  impossible  to  set  up  this  doctrine  as  a  general 
validity,  or  to  accept  it  in  the  exact  letter.  Faria  judged  as 


38  HYPNOTISM    AS    A    REMEDY. 

above,  that  we  can  only  develop  as  somnambulists  those  who 
are  so  by  nature ;  that  the  sleep  produced  by  the  magnetizer's 
unspoken  command  must  be  ascribed  to  somnambulism,  forced 
out  through  himself,  and  not,  as  supposed,  by  some  outside 
power;  therefore,  to  produce  sleep,  Faria  was  obliged  to  em- 
ploy a  method  that  differed  widely  from  those  employed  by 
previous  operators.  "  The  method,"  Faria  says,  "  that  I  em- 
ploy to  bring  people  into  the  sleep  is  very  simple.  I  consider 
it  above  all  reasonable  doubt  that  we  cannot  compel  those  to  be 
somnambulists  that  are  not  naturally  so,  and  we  must  therefore 
endeavor  to  develop  those  who  are  susceptible  on  each  occasion 
that  they  in  good  faith  offer  themselves." 

COMMANDED    TO    SLEEP. 

"According  to  outward  appearance,  as  I  will  try  later  on  to 
describe,  I  avail  myself  in  advance  of  those  who  possess  the 
required  dispositions;  and  when  I  have  them  seated  comfort- 
ably in  a  chair,  I  exclaim  in  a  determined  and  clear  voice  the 
word  '  Sleep ' ;  or  I  show  to  them  at  a  little  distance  my  open 
hand,  and  command  them  to  gaze  sharply  at  it  without  moving 
the  eyes;  but  I  allow  them  to  wink  the  eyelids  when  they  feel 
the  necessity.  In  the  first  place,  I  command  them  to  close  the 
eyes.  And  I  invariably  notice,  when  in  a  determined  tone 
of  voice  I  order  them  to  sleep,  a  visible  tremor  in  all  their 
limbs,  upon  which  they  go  to  sleep.  This  tremor  is  positive 
evidence  not  alone  of  their  natural  dispositions  but  also  of  their 
good  will  to  give  themselves  up.  Secondly,  when  I  perceive 
they  do  not  wink  the  eyelids  any  more  I  slowly  advance  with 
my  open  hand  until  within  a  few  inches  of  their  eyes.  Then 
when  I  notice  that  the  eyelids  do  not  naturally  close  I  perform 
one  more  operation  which  I  will  immediately  explain  : 

"  Before  developing  new  somnambulists,  I  always  take  the 
precaution  to  let  several  developed  somnambulists  go  into  the 
condition — my  aim  being  thereby  to  inspire  confidence  in  those 


HYPNOTISM    AS    A    REMEDY. 


39 


who  are  willing  to  try  and  who  are  natural  somnambulists; 
because  when  they  notice  the  ease  with  which  the  others  sit 
down,  there  is  no  longer  any  fear  regarding  the  coming  sleep. 
Usually  these  persons  are  affected  by  an  overwhelming  fear,  in 
spite  of  their  entire  willingness  to  become  influenced.  They 
often  have  attacks  of  cramps,  nervous  trembling  and  hard 
breathing.  These  attacks  are  the  crisis,  in  which  originates 
what  is  so  erroneously  termed  healing,  which  are  not,  as  claimed, 


THE    SUBJECT    CANNOT    WITHDRAW    HIS    HAND. 

from  magnetism.  If  the  operator  does  not  watch  closely  and 
is  not  able  immediately  to  bring  the  patient  back  to  his  normal 
state  there  is  a  liability  of  leaving  dangerous  effects,  which  may 
later  on  render  special  treatment  necessary.  When  the  de- 
scribed methods  do  not  have  the  desired  effect,  I  slightly  touch 
the  subject  on  the  crown  of  the  head,  the  temples,  root  of  the 
nose,  the  abdomen,  over  the  heart,  both  knees  and  on  both  feet. 
Experience  has  taught  me  that  a  light  pressure  on  the  parts 
where  the  blood  is  especially  easy  flowing  always  produces  an 


40  HYPNOTISM    AS    A     REMEDY. 

effect  (concentration)  that  is  sufficient  to  dull  the  senses  and 
will  power  when  there  is  no  direct  resistance  present." 

It  must  be  admitted  that  this  development  is  very  interesting 
and  contains  more  than  the  germs  to  the  whole  of  Braid's  the- 
ory— and  of  the  theory  concerning  the  power  of  imagination  or 
suggestion  in  consequence  of  the  same. 

The  phenomena  observed  by  Faria  in  his  subjects  do  not  dif- 
fer in  the  main  points  from  those  of  Puysdgur  and  the  other 
operators  or  their  somnambulist  subjects ;  and  this  is  the  case 
especially'  in  regard  to  the  complete  loss  of  memory  about 
everything  on  awakening. 

Faria  adds  :  "  During  the  somnambulistic  sleep  the  eyes  are, 
as  a  rule,  closed.  There  are,  nevertheless,  somnambulists  who 
sleep  with  open  eyes ;  and  my  experience  has  proved  to  me 
that  these  latter  are  somnambulists  by  nature."  Their  open 
eyes  remain  fixed  and  immovable  and  they  seem  to  be  perfectly 
sightless.  There  are  a  few  who  move  their  eyes  and  see  what 
occurs  in  their  surroundings,  still  without  being  able  to  have 
any  recollection  whatever  when  they  are  awakened. 

MADE  THEM   BELIEVE  WATER   WAS  WINE. 

As  an  advocate  of  the  identity  of  somnambulism  and  normal 
sleep,  Faria  made  a  study  of  lethargy;  and  he  was  one  of  the 
first  who  in  a  few  lines  described  this  interesting  condition, 
which  Azam  also  investigated.  This  is  the  state  in  which  we 
nearly  always  find  a  certain  double  individuality  of  the  person. 
It  must  be  remarked  that  Faria  claimed  positively  that  there 
were  no  dangers  attached  when  using  his  methods;  and  that 
subjects  thus  caused  to  sleep  and  brought  under  influence  will 
by  no  means  suffer  anv  unpleasant  effects. 

Abbot   Faria   was   famous   in    Paris,   and  there    was   great 

'  O 

demand  for  tickets  to  the  seances  given  by  this  great  man,  not- 
withstanding that  he  was  tanned  by  the  scorching  sun  of  India, 
and  that  he  spoke  the  French  language  as  poorly  as  he  wrote  it. 


HYPNOTISM    AS    A    REMEDY. 


41 


During  these  seances  he  caused  his  somnambulists  to  sleep 
and  was  one  of  the  first  to  practice  the  mysterious  influence, 
suggestion,  in  a  manner,  if  we  dare  say,  rather  scientific,  as  he 
compelled  his  subjects  to  enjoy  large  quantities  of  water,  in  the 
belief  that  it  was  the  best  select  wines.  Abbot  Farias'  retreat 
did  neither  injure  magnetism  nor  interfere  with  its  progress. 
Thanks  to  several  prominent  scientific  men  (especially  du 
Potet,  1821,  whose  "Traite  Complet  du  Magnetisme  "  is  a  rare 
and  valuable  contribution),  there  was  proclaimed  for  Mesmer's 
discoveries  a  more  medical  and  scientific  direction. 


FOUND    HIS    LONG-LOST    FATHER. 

Du  Potet  magnetized  the  patients  in  the  Hotel  Dieu  hospital; 
and  he  was  successful  in  convincing  several  verv  eminent 
physicians.  Alexander  Bertrand,  formerly  a  pupil  of  t he- 
Polytechnic  school,  gave  a  seance  to  which  people  crowded 


4.2  HYPNOTISM    Aa    A    REMEDY. 

from  all  sides.  Nevertheless  several  of  the  learned  societies, 
in  reference  to  Bailey's  celebrated  report,  continually  condemned 
magnetism. 

Dr.  II.  Bernheim,  a  professor  of  the  faculty  of  medicine  at 
Nancy,  says  in  his  work,  "  Suggestive  Therapeutics"  :  "  In 
reality  we  must  come  down  to  1860  to  find  the  doctrine  of  sug- 
gestion entirely  freed  from  all  the  elements  which  falsified  it 
even  in  the  hands  of  Braid  himself,  and  applied  in  the  simplest 
manner  to  therapeutics.  Durand  de  Gross,  like  Abbot  Faria, 
had  already  employed  simple  vocal  suggestions,  speech,  in  the 
productions  of  hypnotic  phenomena.  Mr.  Liebault  conceived 
the  idea  of  applying  the  same  vocal  suggestions  to  thera- 
peutics. 

"  The  patient  is  put  to  sleep  by  means  of  suggestion — that  is, 
by  making  the  idea  of  sleep  penetrate  the  mind.  He  is  treated 
by  means  of  suggestion — that  is,  by  making  the  idea  of  cure 
penetrate  the  mind.  The  subject  being  hypnotized,  Mr.  Lie- 
bault's  method  consists  in  affirming  in  a  loud  voice  the  disap- 
pearance of  his  symptoms.  We  try  to  make  him  believe  that 
these  symptoms  no  longer  exist,  or  that  they  will  disappear, 
that  the  pain  will  vanish,  that  feeling  will  come  back  to  his 
limbs,  that  his  muscular  strength  will  increase,  and  that  his 
appetite  will  be  restored. 

"  We  profit  by  the  special  psychical  receptivity  created  by 
the  hypnosis,  by  the  cerebral  docility,  by  the  exalted  ideo- 
motor,  ideo-sensitive,  ideo-sensorial,  reflex  activity,  in  order  to 
provoke  useful  reflexes,  to  persuade  the  brain  to  do  what  it  can 
to  transform  the  accepted  idea  in  reality." 

Such  is  the  method  of  therapautic  suggestion  of  which  M. 
Liebault  is  the  founder.  He  was  the  first  to  clearly  establish 
that  the  cures  obtained  by  all  magnetizers,  and  even  by  Braid's 
hypnotic  operations,  are  not  the  work  either  of  a  mysterious 
fluid  or  of  physiological  modification  due  to  special  manipula- 
tions, but  the  work  of  suggestion  alone. 


HYPN'OTISM    AS    A     REMEDY.  43 

% 

The  whole  system  of  magnetic  medicine  is  only  the  medi- 
cine of  imagination;  the  imagination  being  put  into  such  a 
condition  by  the  hypnosis  that  it  cannot  escape  the  suggestion. 

M.  Liebault's  method  was  ignored  a  long  time,  even  by  the 
physicians  at  Nancy.  In  1884  Charles  Rickett  was  satisfied  to 
say  that  magnetism  often  had  advantages,  that  it  calms  nervous 
agitation  and  that  it  may  cure  or  benefit  certain  insomnias. 

Since  1882  I  have  experimented  with  the  suggestive  method 
which  I  have  seen  used  by  M.  Liebault,  though  timidly  at  first 
and  without  confidence. 

DISORDERS    REMOVED    BY    SUGGESTION. 

Now  it  is  daily  used  in  my  clinic;  I  practice  it  before  my 
students,  perhaps  no  day  passes  in  which  I  do  not  show  them 
some  functional  trouble,  pain,  paresis,  uneasiness,  insomnia 
either  moderated  or  instantly  suppressed  bv  suggestion. 

Dr.  J.  R.  Buchanan,  in  his  work  on  Therapeutic  Sarcog- 
nomy,  remarks  in  regard  to  Dr.  Esdaile:  "How  widely  dif- 
ferent from  the  monotonous  imbecility  of  Deleuze  is  the  prac- 
tical exposition  bv  Dr.  James  Esdaile  of  his  medical  and  surgical 
application  of  animal  magnetism  in  India,  in  the  volume, '  Mes- 
merism in  India,'  published  in  1846,  showing  his  observations 
during  six  years,  a  work  which  no  candid  person  can  read 
without  realizing  the  guilty  folly  of  the  medical  profession  in 
ignoring  and  opposing  so  valuable  a  portion  of  therapeutics. 
It  was  his  intention  at  first  to  communicate  his  observations 
only  to  the  medical  profession,  but  he  soon  felt  it  his  duty  to 
give  them  to  the  public." 

Dr.  Esdaile's  report  embraces  seventy-three  surgical  opera- 
tions and  eighteen  medical  cases  treated  bv  mesmerism  with 
complete  success,  and  shows  how  simple  is  the  practice  and 
how  brilliant  are  the  results  in  India.  A  student  of  sar- 
cognomy  in  that  climate,  even  if  he  dispensed  with  medi- 
cine entirely,  would  have  a  brilliantly  successful  prac- 


44 


HYPNOTISM    AS    A    REMEDY. 


tice  that  might  astonish  the  adherents  of  the  old  regime. 
Dr.  Esdaile  regrets  that  the  public  should  wait  for  a 
professional  sanction  of  mesmerism  ;  for,  says  he,  medical  men 
in  general  as  yet  know  nothing  about  it ;  and  there  is  nothing 
in  their  previous  knowledge,  however  great  and  varied,  that 
bears  upon  the  subject.  I  fear  that  not  many  of  this  genera- 
tion will  live  to  benefit  by  mesmerism  if  they  wait  till  it  is 
admitted  into  the  pharmacopoea.  He  speaks  of  the  opprobrious 
language  applied  to  those  who  succeed  in  curing  diseases  with- 
out medicine,  and  adds:  In  my  estimation  the  genuine  medical 


THE    HYPNOTIZED    DENTIST    AND    PATIENT. 

quack  is  he  who,  professing  to  cure  disease,  yet  allows  his 
patients  to  suffer  and  perish  by  ignorantly  or  presumptuously 
dismissing  any  promising  or  possible  means,  of  which  the  father 
of  medicine  thought  verv  differentlv  from  his  degenerate  sons. 


HYPNOTISM    AS    A    REMEDY. 


45 


'I  will  remark  concerning  Esdaile's  methods  of  hypnotizing  : 
Esdaile  usually  had  the  patient  led  into  a  semi-dark  room, 
where  he  was  then  requested  to  lie  down  upon  his  back  upon  a 


THE     HYPNOTIZED    SUBJECT    SUPPOSES     SHE     IS     IX    A    GARDEN, 
PICKING    EEOWEKS. 

low  couch.  At  the  head  of  the  couch  the  operator,  who  was 
generally  a  native,  placed  himself.  This  colored  operator  bent 
himself  forward  over  the  patient's  f;ice,  constantly  directing  his 


46  HYPNOTISM    AS    A    REMEDY. 

gaze  sharply  on  the  subject's  eyes,  at  not  too  great  a  distance 
from  the  patient.  At  the  same  time  the  operator  placed  a  hand 
on  each  shoulder  of  the  patient.  After  a  lapse  of  about  ten  to 
twenty  minutes  symptoms  of  the  magnetic  sleep  generally  com- 
mence to  appear. 

The  operator  then  commands  sleep.  As  a  rule  this  process 
is  very  successful.  In  cases  where  they  do  not  immediately 
succeed  in  bringing  them  under  influence,  the  attempts  are  re- 
peated until  they  do — either  by  the  same  operator  or  another 
who  is  substituted. 

Besides  what  hypnotizations  Dr.  Esdaile  performed  he  had 
engaged  different  operators  who,  singularly  enough,  were  nearly 
all  colored,  whom  he  had  developed.  Another  method  he  often 
pursued  to  produce  sleep  was  passes  or  manipulations  only; 
these  passes  were  all  performed  from  the  head  downward  to 
the  feet,  at  a  distance  of  about  one  inch  from  the  subject's 
body.  The  subject  was  here  placed  on  his  back  on  a  low 
couch,  but  ordered  to  close  the  eyes.  Then  suggestions  about 
the  sleep  were  given ;  the  subjects  were,  of  course,  to  be  pass- 
ive. The  treatment  lasted  from  fifteen  to  forty-five  minutes 
before  the  desired  results  were  obtained. 

During  recent  years  hypnotism  has  been  the  means  of  arous- 
ing considerable  interest.  Magazines  and  daily  papers  have 
contained  numerous  articles  on  the  science.  A  constant  ques- 
tion has  been  concerning  the  great  dangers  that  are  supposed 
to  lurk  under  and  be  connected  with  the  use  of  hypnotism — all 
kinds  of  probable  and  improbable  dangers  of  hypnotism  or 
mesmerism.  Such  anecdotes  are  very  often  not  only  unrea- 
sonable, but  actually  ridiculous,  and,  at  the  same  time,  they  are 
usually  published  by  people  who  have  really  studied  hypnotism, 
which  makes  it  appear  still  more  incomprehensible. 

IS    HYPNOTISM    IMMORAL? 

Especially  there  is  brought  forward,  in  vivid  colors,  the 
danger  connected  with  hypnotism  as  regards  the  evil  influence 


HYPNOTISM     AS    A    REMEDY. 


47 


PATER  FARIA    (THE    BRAHMIN  )    GIVING   A    HYPNOTIC    SEANCE 

IN    PARIS. 


48  HYPNOTISM    AS    A    REMEDY. 

exerted  over  the  subject's  moral  nature,  but  I  am  pleased  to 
remark  that  lately  several  of  the  modern  hypnotists,  as  well  as 
many  physicians,  have  commenced  to  deny  this  assertion.  Even 
some  of  the  old  hypnotists  expressed  their  opinion  through 
their  different  works  and  are  extremely  favorable  in  regard  to 
all  the  benefit  derived  through  hypnotism,  and  on  numerous 
occasions  gave  undeniable  proofs  of  there  being  no  such  danger 
as  was  formerly  supposed. 

As  for  example  let  us  note  what  Binet  and  Fere  say  :  "  In 
the  majority  of  subjects  there  is  no  marked  difference  between 
their  normal  life  and  that  of  somnambulism.  Xone  of  the 
intellectual  faculties  are  absent  during  sleep.  It  only  appears 
that  the  tone  of  the  physical  excitement  is  nearly  always  pres- 
ent during  somnambulism.  This  is  clearly  shown  in  the 
emotion.  It  is,  in  general,  perfectly  easy  to  make  a  subject 
shout  with  laughter  or  shed  tears.  He  is  deeply  moved  by  a 
dramatic  tale,  and  even  by  words  in  which  there  is  no  sense,  if 
they  are  uttered  in  a  serious  tone. 

"  It  is  curious  to  note  the  influence  of  music ;  the  subject  ex- 
presses in  all  his  attitudes  and  gestures  an  emotion  in  accordance 
with  the  character  of  the  piece.  In  short,  hypnotism  does  not 
appear  to  effect  any  radical  change  in  the  character  of  those 
subjects  whom  we  have  observed.  The  intellectual  faculties 
are  as  active  as  before.  The  following  is  a  conclusive  proof 
of  the  exertion  of  the  mind. 

"  A  patient  who  had  been  admitted  to  the  Salpetriere  at  an 
early  age  was  in  the  habit  of  tutoying  M.  X.  when  she  was 
alone  with  him,  or  in  company  with  her  acquaintances ;  she 
ceased  to  do  so  on  the  entrance  of  a  stranger.  Even  under 
somnambulism  this  patient  observed  the  laws  of  good  breed- 
ing, addressing  M.  X.,  as  to  when  she  was  alone  with  him  and 
ceasing  to  do  so  as  soon  as  a  stranger  came  in. 

"  It  is  in  somnambulists  that  we  find  the  curious  phenomenon 
of  resistance,  of  which  we  shall  speak  further,  when  we  come 


HYPNOTISM    AS    A    KEAIEDY.  49 

to  consider  suggestions.  When  an  order  is  given  to  somnam- 
bulists they  will  often  dispute  it,  ask  the  reason  or  refuse  to 
obey.  It  is  under  the  form  of  refusal  to  obey  a  given  order 
that  resistance  occurs.  Subjects  more  rarely  resist  hallucina- 
tions, since  these  do  not  affect  their  personality.  There  are, 
however,  instances  of  the  latter  form  of  resistance. 

"  When  we  proposed  to  transform  one  of  our  subjects  into  a 
priest  and  to  give  him  a  cassock,  he  obstinately  refused  it. 

"  If  we  study  our  own  dreams  we  may  all  become  aware  of 
those  curious  duplications  of  consciousness,  and  this  shows  the 
connection  between  normal  and  hypnotic  sleep. 

"  The  dreamer  is,  in  general,  like  the  somnambulist  to  whom 
hallucinations  are  suggested.  lie  is  surprised  at  nothing,  al- 
though the  most  absurd  impossibilities  are  presented  to  his  vis- 
ion. Yet  there  is  sometimes  a  remnant  of  critical  sense  which 
induces  him  to  say,  in  the  midst  of  some  grotesque  scene  :  '  But 
this  is  impossible.  I  must  be  dreaming!' 

"These  facts  show  that  a  somnambulist  is  far  from  being:,  as 

O  ' 

some  writers  assert,  an  unconscious  automaton,  devoid  of  judg- 
ment, reason  and  intellectual  spontaniety.  On  the  contrary,  his 
memory  is  perfect,  his  intelligence  is  active  and  his  imagination 
is  highly  excited." 

Instances  have  been  given  of  subjects  who  could,  during 
somnambulism,  perform  intellectual  feats  of  which  they  were 
incapable  in  the  waking  state.  M.  de  Puysegur  remarks  :  "The 
power  that  we  acquire  over  those  individuals  who  are  brought  in 
the  hypnotic  condition  (somnambulism)  is  only  unlimited  when 
it  concerns  their  health  and  welfare.  Outside  of  that  they  can 
only  be  brought  to  do  harmless  acts,  such  as  going  to  and  from 
places,  dance,  sing,  carry  articles  to  different  places,  etc.,  in 
short,  what  anybody  would  do  in  a  normal  condition.  But  there 
are  limits,  beyond  which  this  power  is  without  effect ;  and  I  can 
almost  say  positively  that  every  hypnotist  invariably  feels  and 
knows  that  his  subject  will  obey  him  to  a  certain  extent,  and 


^O  HYPNOTISM    AS    A    REMEDY. 

•where   the  suggestions   are   disagreeable   to   the  subject's  own 
morals  and  character,  they  positively  fail." 

As  we  can  see  by  the  above  the  danger  in  connection  with 
hypnotism  is  by  no  means  as  great  as  people  usually  believe  ; 
and  that  the  good  that  can  be  therapeutically  accomplished  bor- 
ders on  the  incredible,  especially  as  related  to  nerve  and  muscle 
diseases. 

SOUTHERNERS  EASILY  INFLUENCED. 

The  differences  in  climate  appear  to  have  great  influence  on 
hypnotic  susceptibility.  Southerners,  and  generally  those  who 
have  been  exposed  to  tropical  heat,  are  much  more  easily  in- 
fluenced than  those  who  live  in  the  temperate  or  frigid  zones. 
Hypnosis  not  only  appears  sooner  in  the  tropical  climates,  but 
it  is  usually  deeper,  and  the  more  complicated  conditions  of  the 
states  invariably  immediately  appear.  The  hypnotic  suscepti- 
bility does  not  depend  on  these  circumstances  alone.  There  are 
many  other  conditions  which  we  must  find,  partly  outside  of 
the  individual  and  partly  within.  It  is  necessary  to  especially 
notice  the  different  tempers  of  mind,  such  as  delight,  sorrow,  etc. 
That  which  also  works  against  coming  into  the  hypnotic  state 
is  over-exertion,  either  mentally  or  bodily,  an  empty  or  an  over- 
loaded stomach,  excessive  use  of  certain  nourishing  substances, 
liquors,  strong  spices,  coffee  or  tea.  All  these  conditions,  more 
or  less,  prevent  or  disturb  the  coming  hypnosis.  Furthermore, 
outward  influences,  such  as  temperature,  dress,  place  of  resi- 
dence and  surroundings,  should  all  be  considered.  The  room 
in  which  experiments  are  to  be  performed  must  neither  be  too 
\varm  nor  too  cold. 

Dryness  is  always  encouraging  to  hypnosis,  while  damp  air 
disturbs  the  influence.  Strong  odors  of  flowers  and  certain  per- 
fumes are  very  often  advantageous.  Strong  lights  are  by  all 
means  unfavorable.  A  mild  and  shaded  light  is  always  favor- 
able. The  subject's  seat  must  be  as  comfortable  as  possible  ; 
the  least  noise,  the  buzzing  of  a  fly,  the  creaking  of  shoes,  may 


HYPNOTISM    AS    A    REMEDY.  51 

disturb  the  good  results  in  causing  an  involuntary  distraction  of 
thought,  which  tends  to  disturb  the  effects  of  the  manipulations 
of  the  operator. 

Without  exception  there  should  be  a  third  person  present  in 
the  room,  to  witness  every  hypnotic  treatment  involving  uncon- 
sciousness of  the  subject.  There  will  then  be  no  cause  for  mis- 
understandings. 

The  time  is  near  at  hand  when  hypnotism  will  be  employed 
in  the  majority  of  diseases  that  have  so  far  thwarted  all  other 
treatment. 


CHAPTER    III. 


HYPNOTISM. 

ALSO    CALLED    MESMERISM,    OR    ARTIFICIAL     SOMNAMBULISM. 

Hypnotism  is  very  old  and  was  known  thousands  of  years 
ago ;  but  during  the  ever  changing  circumstances  in  different 
countries  it  has  generally  been  known  and  employed  only  by 
magicians  and  fakirs,  to  produce  visible,  so-called  supernatural 
phenomena,  such  as  experiments  in  clairvoyance  and  similar 
states- — in  which  the  persons  were  supposed  to  be  able  to  tell 
the  past,  present  and  future. 

This  science  was  also  employed  by  Egyptians  and  healers 
in  the  olden  time,  to  cure  diseases  that  had  baffled  all  other 
treatment. 

Some  of  the  names  applied  to  this  science  are,  Electrical 
Psychology,  Mental  Electricity,  Human  Aura,  Electric  Biology, 
Pathetism,  Sychodunamy  and  many  others. 

A  good  hypnotist  should  possess  certain  special  qualities. 
He  should  possess  knowledge,  good  morals  and  a  good,  sound 
constitution ;  also  have  full  control  of  himself,  a  determined  and 
clear  voice  and  the  will  power  always  to  do  the  best.  When 
we  wish  to  proclaim  the  use  of  a  discovery  we  ought  first  care- 
fully to  investigate  its  nature,  so  as  not  to  enter  on  the  wrong 
road ;  because  only  he  who  thoroughly  knows  a  thing  can  de- 
cide what  remedies  should  be  employed,  and  on  whom  to  in- 
duce them  and  teach  them  to  appreciate  and  adopt  it.  Our 
present  scientists  accept  experience  as  a  main  basis  in  the  study 

of  nature. 

52 


HYPNOTISM.  53 

WHO    IS    SUSCEPTI13LE    TO    HYPNOTISM. 

I  am  constantly  asked,  who  is  susceptible  to  hypnotism  ?  also 
the  percentage  of  both  young  and  old  ladies  and  gentlemen, 
under  the  usual  circumstances.  In  replying  we  are  assisted  by 
all  the  modern  methods  of  procedure. 

As  a  rule  one-third  of  those  who  try,  and  willingly  give 
themselves  up  to  the  operator's  instructions,  can  be  brought  into 
the  hypnotic  sleep.  There  is  not  the  slightest  doubt  that  even 
more  can  be  influenced  if  they  will,  once  every  day,  undertake 
an  attempt  of  this  mode  of  treatment;  then  about  fifty  per  cent, 
would  be  caused  to  sleep,  and  this  peculiar  state  of  sleep  we 
call  hypnotism  or  somnambulism. 

Puysegur  and  Mesmer  as  well  as  many  others  —  followers 
of  the  old  school  —  were  convinced  that  all  persons  could  be  mag- 
netically influenced  —  only  the  manner  of  its  appearance  being 
different.  It  is  not  always  necessary  to  produce  a  sleepy  condi- 
tion, for  magnetizing  or  hypnotizing  may  produce  some  very 
slight,  almost  unnoticeable  effects,  which  the  subject  generally 
is  not  able  to  describe. 

For  hypnotic  experiments  young  people  and  children  are 
preferred.  But  as  nearly  every  one  in  the  eastern  countries  by 
repeated  attempts  becomes  hypnotized,  then  the  actual  reason 
why  they  prefer  younger  people,  almost  children,  is  because  they 
are  the  most  easily  put  to  sleep,  especially  during  a  special 
period  and  age. 

These  fakirs  claimed  that  in  these  young  subjects  they  could 
easily  produce  real  clairvoyance,  and  phenomena  equally  as 
astonishing,  and  which  they  say  cannot  very  well  be  produced  in 
older  people,  even  though  they  are  in  the  deepest  state  of  hyp- 
nosis. 

We  find  a  large  number  of  people  who  still  in  their  old 
age  retain  the  disposition  to  become  hypnotized,  but,  as  a  rule, 
it  is  the  younger  age.  Girls  from  10  to  18  years  are  best 


54 


HYPNOTISM. 


adapted,  youths  during  the  ages  from  15  to  23  years.  Amongst 
those  we  not  alone  influence  a  larger  percentage,  but  pro- 
duce the  most  interesting  conditions. 

In  regard  to  the  different  sexes,  the  opinion  for  a  long  time 
was  that  there  existed  a  great  difference  between  the  male  and 


PROF.  J.  M.  CHARCOT. 


female  susceptibility,  their  more  or  less  development,  and  larger 
percentage  of  each  who  were  naturally  hypnotizable. 

It  was  a  general  belief  that  many  more  ladies  could  be 
hypnotized  than  gentlemen.  Experience  proves  that  men  who, 
as  a  rule,  are  considered  the  stronger,  are  as  easily  hypnotized 
as  women,  who  are  considered  the  weaker  sex,  and  who  usually 
are  more  nervous  than  men. 


HYPNOTISM.  55 

HYSTERIA   AND  HYPNOTISM. 

Prof.  Charcot,  who  mostly  hypnotized  ladies — and  especially 
hysterics — does  not  give  either  reason  or  the  right  to  believe 
that  it  is  only  females  who  can  be  hypnotized.  It  is  an  abso- 
lute untruth,  although  it  has  been  published  in  the  papers,  that 
Charcot  should  have  said  that  only  hysterical  females  can  be 
hypnotized. 

The  truth  is  that  in  his  specialty  at  La  Salpetriere  he 
studied  hypnotism  mostly  through  hysterical  subjects. 

Charcot  has  by  his  cures  done  an  immense  good,  curing  peo- 
ple by  the  thousands  of  a  number  of  diseases. 

A  mistaken  judgment  that  many  pass  is,  that  to  be  hypnot- 
ized is  to  become  hysterical.  I  think  it  is  sufficiently  proven 
by  Charcot's  treatment,  as  he  by  hypnotizing  hysterical  ladies 
actually  cured  their  hysterics,  a  disease  that  by  seeking  medical 
aid  they  had  not  been  relieved  from. 

Of  hysterics  we  find  many  who  cannot  at  all  be  hypnotized. 
Charcot's  and  other  hypnotists'  experience  shows  this. 

At  the  recent  meeting  of  the  French  Society  of  Hypnologi 
in  Paris,  Dr.  Berillon  astonished  his  hearers  by  stating  that 
almost  all  children  could  be  hypnotized,  except  those  who  were 
idiotic  or  hysterical.  The  idea  that  there  is  any  connection 
between  hysteria  and  hypnotism  was  strongly  disputed.  One 
physician  alleged  that  he  had  hypnotized  sixty-nine  patients  out 
of  seventy-two  under  his  care  for  various  diseases  in  a  hospital, 
and  said  it  was  absurd  to  believe  that  so  large  a  proportion 
could  be  hysterical. 

Another  great  good  in  hypnotism  is  that  we  can  by  no  means 
produce  somnambulists  by  the  hundreds;  which  was  the  gen- 
eral belief  when  hypnotism  was  little  known  ;  but  instead  of 
this  it  cures  those  who  arc  attacked  by  this  nervousness. 

Peculiarly  enough,  artificial  somnabulism  produced  by  hyp- 
notism, causes  the  natural  somnambulism  to  disappear,  so  we 
are  almost  sure  of  curing  a  somnambulist  of  his  nightly  walks 


56  HYPNOTISM. 

by  hypnotizing  him.  Well  known  hypnotists,  De  Bremaund, 
Bernheim  and  Liebault  in  France,  and  hypnotists  in  Germany, 
England  and  America,  have  positively  proven  that  men  and 
even  the  most  robust  and  strong  are  easily  hypnotized,  as  a 
rule;  and  usually  they  are  easier  to  produce  the  conditions  in 
than  women. 

Amongst  the  conditions  as  well  as  age,  of  advantage  and  in- 
fluence to  their  susceptibility  we  must  mention  as  a  valuable 
factor  the  person's  occupation  or  position. 

Individuals  who  do  hard  manual  labor   are  more  susceptible 
to  hypnosis  than  those  who  exert  mental  activity. 

The  difference  should  here  be  ascribed  to  the  fact  that  the 
first  are  more  accustomed  to  concentrate  their  whole  thought, 
while  the  others  of  rapid  thoughts  find  the  effort  to  concentrate 
them  on  one  subject  very  hard.  For  the  stated  reasons,  soldiers, 
sailors  and  people  who  are  in  the  habit  of  obeying  orders,  and 
have  only  one  thought  in  their  mind  at  the  time,  are  susceptible. 
Also  those  who  are  working  in  the  free  air  —  healthy  and  ro- 
bust workingmen — are  easily  influenced;  and  they  are  more 
readily  hypnotized  than  weak  and  delicate  looking  people  con- 
fined to  the  house. 

Besides  the  old  well-known  methods,  there  are  some  new 
and  very  practical  ones,  by  which  to  produce  hypnotism ;  but 
even  by  the  methods  now  employed  we  are  only  able  to  in- 
fluence about  thirty-five  or  forty  per  cent.  Probably  the  day  is 
not  far  off  when  a  new  and  more  practical  method  will  be  dis- 
covered, better  than  any  yet  known,  and  by  which  everybody 
can  be  brought  into  hypnosis. 

We  can  not  give  one  special  method  any  advantage  over 
the  other,  as  the  susceptibility  of  the  nerve  systems  are 
different  in  the  different  individuals,  and  even  in  the  same 
persons — the  sense  nerves  can  be  more  or  less  easily  in- 
fluenced. This  is  the  reason  that  in  accomplishing  cures  and 
employing  only  one  method,  I  have  made  ten  or  fifteen  at- 


HYPNOTISM. 


57 


tempts  and  more  on  the  same  person,  without  gaining  any 
result,  while  I  have  found  that  by  another  method  I  have  im- 
mediately produced  the  hypnotic  sleep. 

The  immense  good  a  competent  hypnotist  can  perform, 
when  the  conditions  are  produced,  is  to  many  people  almost 
incredible.  A  great  many  generally  considered  incurable 
diseases  are  cured  through  hypnotic  sleeo  alone,  by  the  refresh- 
ing sleep  and  resting  conditions  of  hypnosis. 

The  diseases  are  nervousness,  insomnia,  and  others  ;  but 
a  still  larger  field  the  hypnotist  has  in  suggestion,  are  the  mor- 
phine and  alcohol  habits,  which  these  people  in  a  normal  con- 
dition can  not  with  the  best  intentions  give  up.  The  hypnotist 
can,  during  this  somnambulistic  condition,  suggest  to  them  to 
abstain  from  their  former  weakness. 

I  will  here  quote  what  Dr.  Hamilton  Osgood  says:  "/ 
have  seen  many  neurosis  cured.  I  have  never  seen  one  caztscd 
by  suggestion.  I  have  seen  the  intelligence  restored'^  I  have 
never  seen  a  mind  enfeebled  by  stiggestions?'1 

In  spite  of  all  that  is  done  by  hypnotic  treatment  both  in 
Europe  and  America  and  all  there  has  been  published  on  the 
subject,  there  nevertheless  are  a  great  many  people  who  as 
usual  cannot  comprehend  what  is  new  to  them,  and  that  there 
really  exists  such  a  thing  as  hypnotism.  Some  blindly  deny 
that  they  understand  it  and  never  try  to  become  better  informed; 
still  they  proudly  denounce  everything  as  nonsense  that  they 
cannot  understand  or  comprehend  immediately.  But  it  is  a 
well  known  fact  that  most  people  never  allow  themselves  to 
study  what  they  have  a  prejudice  against. 

As  an  example,  I  will  give  a  remark  related  at  a  meeting 
of  the  society  for  Psychical  Research,  London.  An  amusing 
instance  of  the  existence  of  mental  prejudice  amongst  eminent 
scientific  men  is  given  by  the  late  Miss  (J.  Fox,  in  her  recently 
published  journal;  she  relates  that  the  late  Provost  of  Trinity 
College,  Dublin,  said  to  her  :  "When  in  Dublin,  Sir  William 


HYPNOTISM. 


Hamilton  mentioned  to  Airey  some  striking  mathematical  fact. 
He  paused  a  moment,  when  Airey  interposed  with,  'No,  it  can 
not  be.'  Sir  William  mildly  remarked,  'I  have  been  investigat- 
ing it  for  the  last  five  months,  and  can  not  doubt  its  truth!' 


PERSIAN    MAGIC    MIRROR. 

'  But,'  said  Airey,  '  I've  been  at  it  for  the  last  five  minutes,  and 
can  not  see  it  at  all ! " 

METHODS    BY    WHICH    HYPNOTISM    IS    OFTEN    PRODUCED. 

There  is  the  method  of  suggestion,  Liebault's  method,  and 
the  well-known  fascinating  method  ;  also  the  method  by  which 
the  subject  in  a  resting  and  comfortable  position  with  tight 


HYPNOTISM.  59 

closed  eyes,  becomes  hypnotized  by  manipulations  or  passes, 
performed  in  a  monotonous  manner.  There  is  also  Braid's 
method,  in  which  the  subject's  whole  attention  is  centered  on  a 
glittering-  object,  crystal  or  metal,  held  at  a  certain  distance  from 
the  subject's  eyes. 

Braid's  method  can  be  traced  back  to  the  dim  old  age,  which 
we  can  see  by  the  following  extract  from  a  letter  to  Demarquay 
and  Giraud  —  Toulon. 


CABALISTIC    MAGIC    MIRROR. 


(  Recherches  sur  rHypnotisme,  1860,  p.  42,  by  Dr.  Rossc,  pri- 
vate physician  to  Halim  Pasha  in  Cairo.") 

"The  old  remark  nil  sub  sole  novunt  (there  is  nothing  new 
under  the  sun)  finds  daily  new  illustrations;  and  to  return  to 


60  HYPNOTISM. 

my  real  object,  the  wonderful  discovery  of   hypnotism  is  a  new 
evidence  of  the  fact. 

"  In  this  traditional  world,  where  everything  is  done  as  it  was 
4,000  years  ago,  we  find  a  class  of  people  who  cultivate  trade 
as  mandcb.  The  experiments  they  do,  and  which  up  to  date 
have  been  scorned  as  charlatanism,  are  the  same  that  Braid 
mentioned. 

"  Their  method  of  procedure  is  as  follows :  They  gener- 
ally employ  a  whole  white  plate.  That  is  Dr.  Braid's  shining 
object.  In  the  center  of  this  plate  they  draw  with  pen  and  ink 
two  triangles,  whose  sides  cross  each  other,  and  write  in  this  ge- 
ometrical figure  cabalistic  words ;  most  probably  this  results  in 
concentrating  the  gaze  to  a  limited  space. 

"  They  then  pour  upon  it  some  oil  to  increase  the  polish. 
"A  young  man  is  generally  preferred  in  the  attempts,  and  he 
is  to  gaze  in  the  center  of  the  double  triangle.  After  a  lapse 
of  four  or  five  minutes  the  effects  present  themselves.  The 
individual  commences  by  seeing  a  black  spot  in  the  center  of 
the  plate,  this  black  spot  grows,  changes  form  and  is  transformed 
to  different  figures,  that  dance  in  front  of  his  eyes.  At  this  state 
of  the  hallucination  he  often  comes  in  possession  of  a  somnam- 
bulistic clairvoyance,  that  is  equally  as  wonderful  as  are  those 
hypnotized. 

"Still  there  are  some  amongst  these  Sheiks  (those  who  can 
produce  these  phenomenon,  are  honored  as  Sheiks)  who  use 
even  fewer  apparata;  who,  without  seeking  refuge  in  geomet- 
rical figures  and  cabalistic  words,  simply  produce  hypnotism 
and  somnambulism  in  the  same  manner  as  Dr>  Braid,  by  letting 
the  individual  look  sharp  at  a  glass  marble;  and  as  they  did 
not  possess  such  a  competent  mechanic  as  the  Parisian,  Char- 
rierre,  to  make  their  scientific  apparatus,  they  were  compelled 
to  be  satisfied  with  a  decanter  which  they  filled  with  oil. 

"In  giving  all  these  details  it  is  not  my  intention  to  rob  Dr. 
Braid  of  his  glory,  but  I  only  wish  to  emphasize  that  the  old 


HYPNOTISM. 


61 


Egyptians  retain  their  priority  in  the  case,  to  which  they  have 
undisputed  right." 


CHIRON   FASCINATING   ESCUI.APIUS   H.  C.  928. 

Chiron  the  Centaur,  a  prince  of  Thessaly,  has  fascinated  his 
pupil  Esculapius,  hrother  prince,  for  the  purpose  of  discovering 
a  remedy  to  cure  the  foot  of  Hercules,  which  had  been  wounded 
hy  a  poisoned  arrow.  An  herb  was  prevised  which  saved  the 


62  HYPNOTISM. 

hero;  this  plant,  known  from  the  circumstance  as  the  Centaury 
(Centaur's  herb),  gave  name  to  a  genus,  one  species  of  which 
is  our  common  blue-bottle.  Chiron  was  the  great  physician  of 
his  day,  and  derived  his  name  from  a  Greek  word,  meaning  the 
hand,  because  he  performed  most  of  his  cures  by  manipulating. 
His  wonderful  skill  in  horsemanship  has  made  the  poets  repre- 
sent him  as  a  centaur,  half  man,  half  horse.  In  after  times,  the 
medical  fame  of  Escu'.apius  far  eclipsed  that  of  his  master^ 
Chiron,  and  he  was  early  invested  by  the  people  with  divine 
honors.  His  mode  of  practicing,  called  by  his  descendant 
Hippocrates,  the  secret  means  of  medicine,  can  be  found  de- 
tailed in  the  work. 


CHAPTER    IV. 


HYPNOTIC  HETHODS  AND  CONDITIONS. 

SPECIAL    REMARKS   REGARDING    THE  CAUSE  OF  "HYPNOTISM" 
AND          PHENOMENA         RELATING     THERETO. — CLEAR 
AND    PRACTICAL  METHODS    BY  WHICH    HYP- 
NOTISM   MAY    B2    PRODUCED. 

In  order  to  hypnotize  an  individual  it  is  essential  first  to  gain 
the  attention  of  the  person  concerned.  In  thus  gaining  his  at- 
tention, his  thought  may  be  controlled  so  that  he  has  but  the 
one  idea — that  he  will  draw  the  shortest  straw  in  the  end,  and 
must  submit.  The  hypnotist  must,  as  a  matter  of  course,  have 
confidence  in  his  own  power ;  otherwise  it  is  not  to  be  expected 
that  others  will  have  such  confidence  in  him. 

A  good  hypnotist  has  it  in  his  power  to  suddenly  check  the 
will  or  desire  of  a  sensitive  either  by  simply  gaining  the  atten- 
tion with  the  aid  of  sonorous,  monotonous  sounds,  or  by  certain 
manipulations  or  passes. 

These  methods,  of  course,  are  each  and  all  simply  sugges- 
tions. We  may  further  make  use  of  other  well-known  meth- 
ods or  suggestions,  as  I  have  previously  mentioned.  Some  hyp- 
notists merely  throw  their  so-called  magnetic  atmosphere  in  the 
direction  of  different  parts  of  the  body,  and,  consequently,  with- 
out contact  or  touch. 

There  are  some  instances  when  these  have  been  successful, 
even  when  contrary  to  the  desire  or  will  of  the  subject;  but  these 
are  rare.  Thesecascs  thus  produced  are  solely  by  the  will-power 
of  the  hypnotist,  and  in  this  instance  without  touch.  These  are 
in  brief  the  most  common  means  employed. 

63 


64  HYPNOTIC    METHODS    AND    CONDITIONS. 

Regarding  manipulations  we  have  the  following:  (a)  Manip- 
ulations by  touch,  and  (3)  manipulations  at  a  distance.  Both 
may  have  similar  effects  on  different  individuals. 

I  would  say  that  in  cases  where  the  manipulations  by  touch 
are  executed  by  a  practical  and  scientific  hypnotist  with  fixed 
certain  manipulations  or  pressure  in  a  certain  direction,  they,  of 
course,  would  produce  a  certain  effect.  In  manipulations  at  a 
distance  the  hands  are  to  be  held  in  a  certain  manner,  being 
clinched  and  moved  forward  in  a  certain  manner  to  gain  a  cer- 
tain effect.  These  manipulations  may  be  executed  at  a  shorter 
or  longer  distance  from  the  sleeping  person. 

Savants  of  the  present  day  admit  that  the  will  of  the  hyp- 
notist plays  an  important  part  in  hypnotic  experiments ;  and 
they  cite  instances  of  hypnotizing  at  a  distance,  and  of  trans- 
ference of  thoughts. 

Braid,  when  discovering  hvpnotism,  fancied  he  had  given 
to  so-called  "animal  magnetism"  the  finishing  thrust;  but  he 
was  proven  in  error.  Even  if  some  of  the  phenomena  per- 
formed by  mesmerists  of  old  bear  a  striking  similaritv  to  hypno- 
tism, there  still  remain  various  experiments  which  Braid  and  his 
followers,  by  their  mode  of  procedure,  were  not  able  to  per- 
form. 

DIFFERENT     SUGGESTIONS. 

Of  these  we  have  four  : 

1.  The  direct  or  so-called   hypnotic   suggestion  to  the  sub- 
ject, who  is  to  be  put  to  sleep. 

2.  The  post-hypnotic  suggestion  by  which  a  person  hypno- 
tized is  suggested  to  do  something  after  being  awakened. 

3.  Distant   suggestions,  when   the   person   contrary   to   his 
will  and  desire  falls  asleep. 

4.  Suggestions  to  a  person  fully  awake.     When  the  person 
without  apparent  hypnotic  influence,  but  awake  and  in  every  way 
normal,  submits  solely  to  the  superior  will  and  intelligence  of  the 
operator. 


HYPNOTIC    METHODS    AND    CONDITIONS.  65 

The  following  instances  go  to  prove  that  there  are  various 
interesting  forms  of  hypnotism,  or,  as  it  is  generally  termed, 
personal  magnetism.  I  will  endeavor  in  the  following  to 
demonstrate  my  views  upon  this  subject.  To  illustrate:  Sup- 
posing two  business  men  come  together.  One,  without  th.- 
other  having  the  least  idea  of  it,  is  studying  the  weak  points  of 
his  associate.  The  stronger  and  more  intelligent  of  the  two 
will,  after  a  while,  bring  the  other  to  look  upon  a  subject  as  he 
desires,  and  finally  to  submit  to  his  wishes.  This,  then,  is  sug- 
gestion with  hypnotic  influence  though  the  person  is  perfectly 
awake.  The  person  upon  whom  the  influence  is  brought  to 
bear  imagines  himself  to  be  possessing  all  his  senses,  while  at 
the  same  time  he  is  bound  to  submit  to  the  influence  of  the 
other.  As  a  result  of  this  kind  of  suggestion  many  otherwise 
shrewd  business  men  are  frequently  led  to  enter  upon  business 
enterprises  which  they,  under  other  conditions,  when  exactly 
the  same  offers  were  made  by  the  same  people,  refused  to  ac- 
cept or  consider ;  because  they  then  followed  their  own  personal 
sense,  will  or  conviction,  guided  by  their  own  particular  interest; 
and  hence  they  did  not  commit  any  folly  to  regret  later  on.  As 
soon  as  the  weaker  party  is  out  of  the  sight  of  the  stronger,  the 
former  perceives  his  blunder,  but,  alas,  too  late. 

Hypnotism  may  be  called  by  different  names,  which  all 
imply  the  same.  It  matters  but  little  whether  we  term  it  Sun- 
derland's  "  Pathetism,"  Dr.  Braid's  "  Hypnotism,"  Burr's 
"  Biologi,"  Dodd's  "  Psychology  "  or  "  Animal  Magnetism." 
Elliottson,  of  London,  gave  to  it  the  name  of  "  Mesmerism,"  in 
honor  of  Mesmer ;  still,  as  a  matter  of  justice  to  its  real  dis- 
coverer, M.  de  Puysegur,  it  might  more  properly  be  called 
"Puyseguriau  Somnambulism" 

THE      DOUBLE      CONSCIOUS      STATE      IS     AN      I NTEK  KSTING      ONE 
WITH    HYPNOTIC   INDIVIDUALS. 

While  every  individual  will,  in  a  state  of  somnambulism,  re- 
member everything  that  has  happened  in  his  normal  as  well  as 


66  HYPNOTIC     METHODS    AND    CONDITIONS. 

hypnotic  state,  he  will  have  forgotten  all  that  has  occurred  dur- 
ing the  hypnose,  when  awakened.  Thus  we  find  a  divided 
recollection,  and  hence  we  have  dual  states  which  may  be 
named  (a)  the  normal  or  awakened  and,  (6)  the  somnambulistic 
recollection.  It  is  of  great  importance  that  everything,  even  to 
the  minute  detail,  which  has  occurred  during  previous  peiiods 
of  sommmbulism  be  recalled  in  each  succeeding  somnambulistic 
period,  regardless  of  the  duration  or  interval  of  these  periods. 
Thus  the  memory  is  strengthened  and  may  recall  long  past  and 
forgotten  occurrences. 

Belonging  to  the  soul  category  is  another  peculiar  condition, 
the  hypnotic  rapport  existing  between  the  hypnotist  and  his 
subject. 

The  subject  submits  to  and  obeys  the  hypnotist,  even  to  the 
minute  details.  As  a  matter  of  course  while  the  subject  is  con- 
tinued "en  rapport"  with  the  hypnotist —  he  entertains  the 
same  thoughts  and  desires  —  smiles  or  shows  anger  with  him, 
while  at  the  same  time  he  remains  indifferent  to  everyone  else, 
and  remains  unconcerned  about  the  influence  which  may  be 
brought  to  bear  from  others  than  the  hvpnotist. 

Whenever  the  hvpnotist  places  the  subject  in  rapport  with 
some  other  person,  the  subject  will  in  the  same  manner  be- 
come submissive  to  that  person,  while  remaining  indifferent  to 
the  demand,  suggestion  or  manipulations  of  anyone  else  en- 
deavoring to  exert  an  influence.  The  hypnotist  may  at  will 
cause  the  rapport  to  return  to  himself  even  by  the  slightest 
motion  of  his  hand.  He  mav  accomplish  this  by  passes  or 
manipulations  solely — or  by  words  or  without,  and  with  some 
subjects  even  without  any  direct  words  or  touch,  but  simply  by 
the  will  of  the  hypnotist.  In  very  sensitive  persons  similar  effects 
are  caused  bv  the  concentrated  thoughts  of  the  hypnotizer.  To 
have  the  rapport  return  it  is  but  necessary  to  again  gain  control. 
It  is  to  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  hypnotist's  thoughts  during 
the  entire  period  of  hypnose  are  with  the  subject.  Hence  the 


HYPNOTIC    METHODS    AND    CONDITION'S.  67 

final  thought  of  the  subject  as  to  the  hypnose  is  in  harmony 
with  that  of  the  latter.  It  thus  becomes  natural  for  the  sub- 
ject to  see,  hear  and  comprehend  the  hypnotist,  he  being  the 
last  one  in  the  mind  of  the  hypnotized  person  when  awake. 
The  subject  during  his  sleep  is  continually  attracted  and 
controlled  by  the  hypnotist. 

The  following  example  is  familiar  to  all.  When  the 
mother  goes  to  sleep  with  the  child  at  her  side,  she,  though 
slumbering,  does  not  cease  to  watch  over  her  babe.  While 
asleep  she  is  still  watching.  Although  she  remains  uncon- 
scious of  every  noise,  no  matter  from  what  other  source,  she 
will  awake  at  the  slightest  movement  or  outcry  of  her  babe. 
The  hypnotic  rapport  bears  great  resemblance  to  this.  It  is 
the  same  concentrated  consciousness  that  causes  the  mother, 
solely  interested  in  her  babe,  to  observe  every  little  noise,  every 
sound  or  movement  from  it — which  makes  the  hypnotized 
somnambule  so  sensitive  to  every  impulse  emanating  from  the 
hypnotist,  while  the  subject,  as  has  been  proven,  remains  en- 
tirely indifferent  to  any  other  person. 

Hence  it  is  in  the  mind  of  the  hypnotic  individual  the  hyp- 
notist exercises  some  peculiar  individual  power  in  him,  which 
causes  the  well-known  lack  of  will  in  the  hypnotized  indi- 
vidual. 

Thus  the  rapport  is  a  kind  of  suggestion  caused  by  either 
a  conscious  or  unconscious  effect  of  the  hypnotic  sleep,  as  ap- 
pears in  the  mind  of  the  somnambulistic  individual.  The  phe- 
nomena is  very  interesting  and  is  worthy  of  consideration,  giv- 
ing food  for  thought.  So  far  no  one  has  been  able  to  explain 
satisfactorily  this  vital,  still  natural,  phenomena.  As  previously 
stated  by  one,  when  in  gaining  the  attention  of  a  person  and 
thus  making  him  forget  everything  else,  he  will  be  entirely 
absorbed  in  the  one  thought,  and  be  influenced  by  none  but 
the  hypnotist  with  whom  he  is  in  rapport.  lie  feels,  sees, 
hears  onlv  that  which  is  related  to  that  one  thought.  We  find 


6S  HYP.. 'OTIC     METHODS     AND    CONDITIONS. 

instances  of  this  in  everyday  occurrences,  where  a  person  ;s  sub- 
missive to  the  one  idea  and  seems  to  forget  everything  else,  and 
becomes  indifferent  to  those  who  formerly  held  his  affection. 
He  sees  nothing,  hears  nothing,  and  feels  nothing,  but  is  en- 
tirely absorbed  in  the  one  idea. 

Every  one  knows  that  we  can  be  occupied  by  a  certain  sub- 
ject to  such  an  extent  that  we,  as  it  is  generally  termed,  neither 
see  nor  hear.  This  idea,  or  class  of  ideas,  which  has  arrested 
our  entire  attention,  is  incessantly  increasing  in  strength, 
until  it  finally  remains  the  only  thing  perceptible  for  our 
thought ;  everything  else  is  forgotten ;  we  hear  nothing,  neither 
do  we  see  nor  feel.  This  overwhelming  thought  dominates 
our  mind  and  prevents  the  apprehension  or  conception  of  any- 
thing else.  Even  such  impressions  as  would  under  usual  con- 
ditions prove  disagreeable  or  painful  do  not  affect  the  person. 

A    STRIKING    EXAMPI-E     IS    THAT    OF    KING    I.EAR. 

AVe  have  at  one  time  a  striking  and  interesting  example  of 
this  in  the  tempest  scene  of  Shakespeare's  famous  tragedy, 
"  King  Lear" — a  scene  which,  as  well  as  so  many  others,  writ- 
ten by  the  Grand  Master,  shows  his  deep  knowledge  of 
humanity.  King  Lear  at  last  clearly  convinced  of  his  daugh- 
ter's grave  ingratitude  finds  himself  deserted  in  the  wilds  of 
the  night.  He  is  so  horror-struck  by  this  mighty  certainty  that 
he  sees,  understands,  perceives  nothing  but  this  all-dominating 
thought  that  he  feels  prevails,  everything  dies  in  his  mind; 
and  as  he  more  and  more  faces  this  sole  idea,  he  cries  in  the 
fearful  raging  tempest  of  the  night,  as  a  soul  in  agony : 
"  Fool — I  am  growing  insane."  And  he  hurries  further  into 
the  terrible  tempest,  hears  no  more  the  thundering  storm  ;  he  is 
regardless  of  the  rain  that  beats  his  face.  When  the  faithful 
"Kent"  begs  and  implores  the  King  to  leave  the  desert's  mel- 
ancholy  wrath  and  seek  shelter  from  the  horr.ble  tempest,  King 
Lear  replies: 


HYPNOTIC    METHODS    AND    CONDITIONS.  69 

"Thou  think'st  'tis  much,  that  this  contentious  storm 

Invades  us  to  the  skin;  so  'tis  to  thee; 

But  where  the  greater  malady  is  fix'd, 

The  lesser  is  scarce  felt     —     —     — 

—     — •     —     When  the  mind's  free, 

The  body's  delicate;  the  tempest  in  mv  mind 

Doth  from  mv  senses  take  all  feeling  else, 

Save  what  beats  there. 

Act  III,  Scene  1 1  \ 

We     remember    that    in    the  brain  of    the    kin<jf  ra<res    the 

O  O 

deathly,  despairing,  all  absorbing  thought  —  the  ingratitude  of 
his  daughters.  His  brain  is  therefore  incapable  of  receiving  any 
impressions  which  enters  as  telegraphic  messages  from  every 
nerve-center  of  the  body.  He  is  utterly  unable  to  pav  any  at- 
tention to  anything  outside  of  this.  The  only  thing  perceptible 
to  him  is  this  all  dominating  thought,  rooting  itself  deeper  and 
deeper,  until  it  is  finally  so  fixed,  so  intense,  th;it  it  — as  he  him- 
self expresses  it  —  leads  to  insanity. 

King  Lear  in  his  misery  furthermore  exclaims: 

There  is  a  cliff,  whose  high  and  bending  head 
Looks  fearfully  on  the  confined  deep; 
Bring  me  but  to  the  very  brink  of  it, 
And  I'll  repair  the  misery  thou  dost  beai. 

The  unfortnnate  King  was  a  grand  and  noble  soul,  good  in 
every  sense  of  the  word;  and  he  gave  away  to  his  children  all 
his  worldly  goods.  Then  being  in  the  closest  of  all  relation 
they  showed  not  only  their  ingratitude,  but  they  were  in  every 
respect  cruel  to  the  old  king.  They  hereby  gave  the  mental 
death-blow  which  threw  the  king  into  the  despairing  darkness 
of  that  insanity  which  he  himself  predicted. 

His  attention  was  arrested  as  it  is  the  case  of  the  hypnotized 
individual. 

The  hypnotic  somnambule    is   not   a   mere  automaton  to  be 
moved  about    at  pleasure.      To   make   the    hypnotic   suggestion 
applicable,  it    is  essential    to   impart    the   hypnotic  suggestion 
otherwise  it  can  not  be  carried    out.      It    must    not   be   forgotten 


yO  HYPNOTIC    METHODS    AND    CONDITIONS. 

that  the  execution  of  the  suggestion  depends  entirely  on  the  dis- 
position of  the  subject,  which  does  not  alter  but  remains  the 
same  asleep  or  awake. 

There  are  certain  instances  where  a  person  has  a  so-called 
dual  character.  These  persons  are,  to  all  appearance,  peaceable 
and  law-abiding  beings,  who  under  certain  circumstances  be- 
come vicious  or  dishonest.  It  stands  to  reason  that  these  same 
persons  would,  when  under  hypnotic  influence,  at  times  be  pure 
and  honorable,  and  then  again  dishonest  or  unreliable,  just 
as  in  the  normal  state.  The  reader  will  understand  that  the 
somnambule  may  show  resistance;  not  only  refusing  to  do  that 
which  he  has  been  ordered  to  do  when  asleep,  but  even  when 
in  the  deepest  hypnose  after  their  sleep.  I  have  given  my  per- 
sonal views  upon  this  subject,  and  may  now  properly  give  those 
of  well-known  scientists  who  have  made  investigations. 

I  cite  from  statements  made  bv  the  well-known  Professor 
Pitres  of  France: 

"When  ordering  certain  hypnotic  individuals  to  execute 
certain  acts  after  their  awakening,  disagreeable  to  them  or  caus- 
ing their  displeasure,  they  would  simply  refuse  to  obey  and 
would  not  be  awakened  until  released.  Should  the  hvpnotist 
remain  firm  or  insist  upon  the  suggestion  being  carried  out,  it 
would  become  impossible  to  awaken  them." 

"Two  years  ago,"  I  again  quote  Professor  Pitres,  "we 
had  in  our  department  a  young  woman  who  was  easily  hypno- 
tized. With  little  difficulty  she  was  made  to  imitate  every 
movement  of  the  hypnotist;  and  illusions  and  hallucinations 
were  easily  called  forth  with  her;  still  she  could  not  be  made 
to  lay  hands  on  anyone.  In  endeavoring  to  make  her  do  so  by 
sternly  commanding  her  to  obey  orders,  she  would  raise  her 
hand,  but  immediately  it  would  relax  in  a  lethargic  manner. 
Another  female  patient  enamored  with  a  person  who  had  for- 
merly caused  her  downfall,  was  through  suggestion  brought 
into  his  company.  Still  retaining  her  affection  for  him,  she  at 


HYPNOTIC    METHODS    AND    CONDITIONS.  J  t 

once  would  become  nervous  and  make  efforts  to  evade  him.  It 
was,  however,  impossible  to  cause  her  to  do  him  any  injury. 
Any  other  command  she  would  instantly  follow." 

I  again  quote  from  the  last  named  gentleman  :  "  I  once 
ordered  one  of  my  female  patients,  who  was  under  hypnotic 
influence  to  go  (upon  being  awakened  from  her  hypnotic  sleep) 
pnd  kiss  a  young  physician  present.  On  awakening  she  went 
towards  the  doctor,  took  his  hand,  but  observing  the  attention 
paid  her  by  those  present,  she  remained  standing  a  few  minutes, 
while  a  troubled  look  overspread  her  feature,  and  apparently 
she  was  in  mental  fear.  In  questioning  her  closely  she  admit- 
ted, blushing  deeply,  that  she  had  the  desire  to  kiss  Dr.  X,  but 
found  it  contrary  to  her  very  nature  to  make  such  a  breach  of 
etiquette." 

Another  example:  "After  placing  a  coin  on  the  table,"  says 
Professor  Pitres,  "I  said  to  one  of  the  sleeping  patients:  'On 
awakening  go  to  the  table  and  pick  up  the  coin  which  has  been 
left  there  by  some  one  and  pocket  it.  You  know  it  is  stealing, 
but  you  need  fear  no  trouble.'  On  awakening  she  went  to  the 
table,  picked  up  the  money  and  placed  it  in  her  pocket,  but 
immediately  after,  she  took  it  from  her  pocket  and  handed  it  to 
me  with  the  remark  that  it  did  not  belong  to  her,  and  asked  me 
to  find  the  party  who  had  left  it.  '  I  am  no  thief  arid  would  not 
keep  it,'  she  added." 

Resistance  may  appear  under  very  different  forms.  A 
young  girl,  Miss  W.,  had  it  suggested  to  her  that  it  was  very 
warm,  and  she  at  once  b'egan  to  wipe  the  sweat  from  her  brow, 
remarking  that  the  heat  was  intolerable.  I  suggested,  "  Let 
us  go  and  bathe."  She  exclaimed,  "What!  In  your  company  ?" 
"Yes?  Why  not,"  I  made  reply;  "You  are  aware  that  ladies 
and  gentlemen  go  bathing  together  at  fashionable  resorts  and 
they  see  nothing  improper  in  it."  Evidently  she  was  in  doubt, 
but  began,  nevertheless,  to  undress.  When  she  began  taking 
off  her  corset,  she  hesitated  and  became  convulsive.  The  ex- 


72  HYPNOTIC    METHODS    AND    CONDITIONS. 

periment  was  stopped  at  once,  thus  preventing  bringing  on 
hysterics,  which  with  her,  always  appeared  in  this  manner. 
The  patient  was  of  a  very  modest  disposition,  and  hence  the 
result. 

Another  lady,  Sarah  R.,  in  similar  instances  never  showed 
any  signs  of  hesitancy,  but  would  immediately  undress  and  take 
the  imaginary  bath.  It  must  be  remembered,  however,  that 
Sarah  R.  naturally  was  reckless  and  far  from  modest  in  her 
behavior. 

These  experiments  will  clearly  sustain  me  in  my  statements 
previously  made.  These  proofs  are  evident  and  speak  for 
themselves. 

Dangers  such  as  have  been  spOKen  of  by  persons  unac- 
quainted with  these  phenomena,  do  not  seem  probable  when 
the  subject  is  properly  investigated.  The  benefits  to  be  derived 
are  much  greater  and  more  numerous  than  is  generally  sup- 
posed; and  at  no  distant  dav  all  this  unwarranted  prejudice 
concerning  this  subject  and  these  phenomena  will  disappear — 
in  the  light  of  truth. 

PSYCHOLOGIC  A  I,    IMPRESSIONS. 

There  is  a  peculiar  condition  into  which  manv  subjects  may 
be  induced,  which  is  variously  called  psychologized,  magne- 
tized, fascinated,  charmed,  etc. 

In  this  condition  the  subject  is,  to  all  appearances,  fully 
awake  and  in  possession  of  complete  self-control,  except  that 
at  the  proper  suggestions  and  passes  he  finds  it  impossible  to 
move  the  hand,  limb  or  anv  part  of  the  body  affected.  In  like 
manner  any  part  of  the  body  may  be  rendered  insensible  to 
pain,  touch,  or  even  to  a  surgical  operation. 

IMPORTANT    SUGGESTIONS. 

If  the  operator  understands  his  art  and  does  not  use  severe 
or  startling  methods,  and  if  the  subject  submits  without  fear 


HYPNOTIC    METHODS    AND    CONDITIONS.  ~^ 

or  apprehension,  the  latter  will  usually  exhibit  first  the  lethargic 
state  when  hypnotized. 

By  proper  suggestion  and  passes  the  subject  may  be  readily 
brought  from  the  lethargic  into  the  somnambulistic  condition. 
Somnambulism  is  only  a  deeper  degree  of  lethargy;  and  it  is 
best  induced  in  the  following  manner:  Place  the  subject  in  a 
perfectly  easy  position.  Suggest  that  in  a  few  minutes  he  (or 
she)  will  be  in  a  very  deep  and  peaceful  sleep.  Make  passes 
from  the  forehead  down  over  the  chest  to  the  knees,  or  the 
operator  places  his  right  hand  over  the  subject's  heart  and  his 
left  hand  upon  the  subject's  forehead,  and  suggests  deep  and 
quiet  sleep. 

If  the  operator  uses  startling  methods,  and  if  the  subject  is 
very  nervous,  apprehensive  or  hysterical,  a  cataleptic  state  is 
frequentlv  produced  as  the  first  stage  of  hypnotism. 

To  bring  the  subject  from  lethargy  into  a  cataleptic  state  it 
is  usually  sufficient  to  place  the  arm,  limb  or  head  in  a  certain 
position.  Then,  touch  the  forehead,  and,  making  passes  over 
the  part  to  be  affected,  suggest  that  in  a  minute  (or  some 
other  short  time)  the  said  part  will  be  rigid,  and  that  the  sub- 
ject will  be  unable  to  move  or  bend  it.  Some  subjects  are 
so  naturally  impressionable  that  if  their  arms  or  limbs  are 
placed  in  a  special  position,  with  the  proper  suggestion,  they 
will  at  once  become  cataleptic. 

There  is  never  any  danger  of  ill  effects  fiom  lethargy  or 
somnambulism ;  and  this  proceeding  is  perfectly  safe.  All  experi- 
ments, however,  which  involve  catalepsy — and  especially  when 
the  subject  is  caused  to  undergo  any  muscular  strain — must  be  care- 
fully undertaken.  In  all  such  experiments  the  subject  should 
be  a  healthy  one,  and  not  easily  alarmed  or  predisposed  to  any 
hysterical  excitement. 

Every  hypnotized  subject  should  be  fully  disabused  of  any 
and  every  hallucination;  and  then  fully  and  absolutely  relieved 


7-i  HYI'NOTIC    METHODS    AND    CONDITIONS. 

of  every  hypnotic  influence — and,  of  course,  then  fully 
awakened. 

It  is  never  safe  to  hypnotize  anyone  afflicted  with  heart 
disease — much  less  to  experiment  with  such  a  subject. 

I  cannot  leave  this  matter  without  the  emphatic  statement 
that  the  would-be  hypnotist  should  be  perfectly  familiar  ivith 
the  theories  and  principles  of  the  art  before  undertaking' 
any  experiment,  even  the  simplest.  And  when  thus  familiar — 
and  even  after  extended  experience — every  step  in  practical 
work  in  this  line  should  he  carefully  considered  and  intelligently 
carried  out.  In  fact,  the  more  intelligent  the  operator,  and  the 
greater  the  experience,  the  more  detailed  and  perfect  his  plans, 
and  the  more  carefully  will  he  proceed  at  every  step  of  his 
operations. 

ALCOHOLIC  TRANCE STRANGE   THINGS  THAT  MEN  DO    UNDER 

THE    INFLUENCE    OF    DRINK. 

"  In  somnambulism  the  person  may  go  about  and  perform 
many  intricate  acts  without  consciousness — or  recollection  of 
them  afterward,"  says  science.  In  epilepsy  distinct  periods  of 
unconsciousness  occur.  Acts  unusual  and  often  violent  occur, 
which  are  never  remembered.  In  mania  these  memorv  blanks 
are  common,  and  the  person  is  an  automaton,  acting  without 
any  conscious  influence  of  the  present.  These  are  familiar  illus- 
trations of  some  unknown  pathological  and  psychological  states 
of  the  brain,  in  which  memory  is  suspended  or  cut  off,  and  the 
operations  of  the  mind  go  on  without  realization  of  the  sur- 
roundings or  the  influence  of  experience.  This  is  some  obscure 
form  of  psychological  palsy,  in  which  he  has  no  recollection  of 
his  acts  during  this  time.  From  the  many  clinical  studies  of 
cases  which  have  been  made,  the  following  general  conclusions 
seem  to  be  sustained: 

I.  Alcoholic  trance  is  not  an  unusual  condition  of  inebi  iety. 
The  victim  is  literally  an  automaton,  and  acts  without  memory 


HYPNOTIC    METHODS    AND    CONDITIONS.  7^ 

or  consciousness  of  passing  events — a  state  which  may  last  from 
a  fe\v  minutes  to  several  clavs. 

2.  It  is  distinct  from  epilepsy,  hysteria,  or  any  known  forms 
of  mania ;  and  it  is  found  associated  with  some  unknown  condi- 
tion following  alcoholic  poisoning,  continuously  or  at  intervals. 

3.  This  condition  is  probably  one  of  brain  exhaustion,  fol- 
lowed by  a  lowering  of  consciousness  till  events  are  no  longer 
clearly  remembered ;  or  it  is  a  suspension  of  nerve  force  in  cer- 
tain directions,  closely  allied  to  the  paralvsis  of  certain   brain 
functions ;    hence  there  are  profound  disturbances  of  brain  cen- 
ters, and  impaired  and  lessened  responsibility. 

One  group  of  trance  cases  seems  never  to  do  anything  out- 
side a  natural,  accustomed  order  of  every -day  life.  Thus  a 
farmer  in  this  state  goes  on  with  his  regular  work,  a  physician 
continues  to  visit  his  patients,  and  a  railroad  conductor  attends 
to  all  his  usual  duties,  without  anv  memory  of  these  states.  A 
second  group  of  trance  cases  seems  prominent  bv  unusual  acts 
and  thoughts.  Thus,  a  banker,  in  this  state,  left  his  regular 
work  and  went  round  delivering  tracts  in  the  lower  parts  of  the 
city.  A  quiet,  retiring  man  became  vociferous,  bold  and  aggres- 
sive. A  peaceful  man  was  combative,  a  truthful  man  untruth- 
ful, and  a  conscientious,  religious  man  was  treacherous  and 
skeptical.  Later  these  events  were  perfect  blanks  in  their  mem- 
ory. In  a  third  group  of  trance  cases  some  unusual  line  of  con- 
duct seems  to  grow  out  of  the  surrounding  unexpectedly  ;  or 
some  old  buried  thought  or  conception  comes  to  the  surface. 
Thus  a  clergyman  insists  on  riding  with  the  engineer  in  the 
engine.  A  skeptical  phvsician  takes  part  in  a  prayer  meeting. 
A  merchant  goes  round  threatening  to  kill  an  old  schoolmaster 
who  punished  him  in  boyhood.  A  wealthy  man  has  a  new  will 
written,  disposing  of  his  property  differently  every  time.  In 
the  last  two  groups  criminal  cases  occur  most  frequently,  although 
some  very  remarkable  instance*  have  been  reported  under  the 
first  group. 


76  HYPNOTIC    METHODS    AND    CONDITIONS. 

In  a  little  work  entitled  "  Alcoholic  Somnambulism,"  Prof. 
Jurnsky,  of  St.  Petersburg,  mentions  the  case  of  a  chief  of 
police,  who  was  an  inebriate,  ordering  the  arrest  and  execution 
of  two  suspected  Jews.  His  orders  were  carried  out  in  form, 
but  not  in  reality.  A  day  later  he  recovered  from  the  trance 
state,  and  had  no  recollection  of  the  past ;  he  had  total  amnesia 
of  this  act.  Another  case  is  cited  of  an  officer  who  ordered  a 
house  burned  down,  on  the  suppositioa  that  the  inmates  were 
preparing  to  destroy  his  command.  Two  days  later  he  awoke 
with  no  memory  of  this  event,  and  could  give  no  reason  for  the 
act.  In  these  cases  the  somnambulistic  act  was  along  the  line 
of  his  usual  work,  and  performed  without  the  slightest  con- 
sciousness of  its  nature  and  consequences.  The  criminal  trance 
cases  may  be  divided  into  two  classes,  one  of  which  seems  to 
have  no  history  of  criminality  previous  to  the  commission  of 
the  crime.  Thcv  are  inebriates  of  active,  neurotic  temperament, 
who  have  occupied  reputable  stations  in  life  and  belong  to  the 
better  classes.  All  crime  is  unusual  with  them,  and  apparently 
grows  out  of  alcoholic  poisoning. 

The  second  class  are  the  low  neurotics  and  defective  by 
birth  and  education.  They  have  a  history  of  irregularities  of 
life  and  conduct  that  seems  to  prepare  the  way  for  criminal  acts; 
and  probably  they  are  more  subject  to  the  trance  state  because 
of  defective  heredity.  Clinical  facts  indicate  that  in  all  cases 
of  inebriety  there  is  a  defective  brain  power,  and  general  per- 
version of  healthy  activity ;  also,  the  door  is  open  for  many 
varied  nerve  changes  and  degrees  of  instability,  which  always 
give  a  doubt  to  the  sanity  of  the  victim.  The  fact  of  being  an 
inebriate  points  to  an  unsound  mind  ;  and  to  more  or  less  inca- 
pacity to  act  or  think  normally.  When  the  trance  state  is  de- 
termined the  actual  responsibility  or  cognizance  of^  right  or 
wrong  is  suspended — the  person  is  a  mental  waif,  without  com- 
pass or  chart.  No  evidence  of  premeditation  or  apparent 
judgment  in  his  actions  can  change  this  fact.  Any  special  act 


HYPNOTIC    METHODS    AND    CONDITIONS.  77 

may  spring  up  from  some  impression  laid  up  in  the  past,  which, 
when  conscious  reason  is  withdrawn,  takes  on  form  and  sem- 
blance. The  real  condition  of  the  mind  is  alwavs  more  or 
less  concealed.  When  the  case  is  a  periodical  inebriate,  with 
distinct  free  intervals  of  sanity,  a  possibility  of  concealed  or 
masked  epilepsy  should  always  be  considered.  Epilepsy  is 
likely  to  be  present  or  follow  from  some  organic  tendency  of 
favoring  conditions.  When  the  defense  of  no  memory  of  the 
act  is  made  the  case  should  receive  a  thorough  medical  study 
before  any  conclusion  of  responsibility  can  be  reached. 


CHAPTER  V. 


HYPNOTISM  DEFENDED. 

POPULAR    MISAPPREHENSIONS     CONCERNING     HYPNOTISM. 

V.  Many  invalids  who  could  easily  be  cured  of  painful  diseases 
by  receiving  hypnotic  treatment,  still,  in  spite  of  this  available 
remedy  continue  to  suffer,  because  they  cannot  brace  themselves 
up  to  try  the  method  of  treatment!  The  reason  is  usually  that 
they  have  the  erroneous  idea  thatnco  be  hypnotized  is  a  positive 
way  of  weakening  the  character.  In  short,  they  imagine  that 
mentally  they  would  be  too  much  of  an  automaton— subject  to 
the  hypnotist's  will,  and  blindly  follow  his  instructions,  not  being 
able  to  refuse  to  obey  whatever  he  might  suggest  for  them  to 
perform.  This  is  a  totally  erroneous  idea.  On  the  contrary, 
the  hypnotist's  power  is  limited;  and  this  is  attested  by  authori- 
ties who  have  made  a  special  study  of  hypnotism. 

The  fact  is  that  to  be  hypnotized  does  not  change  the  sub- 
ject's moral  character.  If  one  in  the  waking  and  normal  condi- 
tion is  an  honest  and  upright  person,  he  will  also  be  so  during 
the  sleep;  and  just  as  it  is  impossible  to  induce  honest  people  to 
do  anything  wrong  in  the  normal  condition — so  exactly  is  the 
case  during  the  hypnotic  sleep — as  the  character  and  moral  power 
is  the  same.  There  is  this  safeguard  for  those  who  are  anxious 
that  no  misunderstanding  may  occur :  always  have  friends  or 
relatives  present  during  the  hypnotic  treatments. 

Professor  R.  A..  Campbell,  the  lucll  knoivn  investigator 
and  authority  on  psychic  matters,  and  who  has  made  a  special 
study  of  this  subject,  has  kindly  allowed  me  to  quote  the  follow- 
ing from  his  forthcoming  work  : 

"  The  questions  as  to  the  benefits  and  dangers  of  hypnotism, 

78 


HYPNOTISM    DEFENDED.  79 

are  by  no  means  answered.  There  are  in  the  nature  of  the  case, 
some  results  to  the  hypnotized  subject.  These  results  may  be 
either  transient,  temporary  or  permanent;  and  they  may  be 
beneficial,  indifferent  or  injurious.  The  facts  in  the  cases  are  of 
great  importance,  but  they  are  not  as  yet,  fully  known.  Even 
the  theories  agreed  upon  by  able  and  experienced  hypnotists 
must  not  be  confounded  with,  or  mistaken  for,  demonstrated 
laws.  That  many  wonderful  and  permanent  therapeutic  re- 
sults have  been  obtained  through  hypnotism  is  freely  conceded 
by  everyone  who  has  given  this  subject  any  fair  investigation. 
That  cures  by  hypnotism  lie  in  the  domain  of  the  mental,  the 
nervous,  the  fluctional  and  the  muscular,  is  well  known  by  all 
who  are  acquainted  with  the  facts.  The  limit  of  such  benefits 
and  the  possible  extent  of  such  curative  results  are  alike  matters 
of  theory — which  have  not  yet  been  fully  determined.  Enough^ 
however,  is  known  to  warrant  the  employment  of  this  partially- 
known  remedial  agency  in  a  large  range  of  cases  that  have 
always  puzzled  and  usually  baffled  the  medical  profession. 

"  As  to  injuries  inflicted  by  intelligent  and  proper  hypnotic 
treatment  they  are  mainly  conjectured  possibilities,  rather  than 
observed  and  verified  effects.  So  far  as  they  have  any  reality 
they  are  of  the  same  nature  as  the  incidental  injuries  of  any 
surgical  operation — a  temporary  tax  on  the  patient's  comfort, 
strength  and  free  will ;  and  they  are  cheerfully — nay  thank- 
fully— borne  for  the  sake  of  the  desired  beneficial  result  on  the 
therapeutic  plane  of  their  operation. 

"  The  claim  that  hypnotism  will  prove  a  powerful  agent  in 
reforming  the  vicious  or  in  demoralizing  the  innocent  or  virtu- 
ous is  not  founded  on  any  well  known  fact  of  its  influence 
either  wav.  Th»at  the  subject  while  hypnotized  may  have  sug- 
gested to  him  an  act — or  even  a  series  of  acts — which  he  is  to 
perform  in  his  subsequent  seemingly  fully  awakened  condi- 
tion is  an  established  truth.  There  is,  however,  no  case  in 
which  this  suggestion  has  been  obeved  when  its  performance 


So  HYPNOTISM    DEFENDED. 

involved  a  heroic  sacrifice  beyond  the  ideal  of  the  subject ;  or 
when  it  called  for  any  act  which  was  shocking  to  the  subject's 
sense  of  propriety  or  integrity — much  less  when  it  induced  any 
crime  against  the  person.  The  simple  truth  seems  to  be  that 
the  morality  of  the  subject  is  in  no  perceptible  way  modified. 
The  hypnotic  subject  may  be  induced  to  perform  certain  acts, 
and  he  may  be  instructed  in  certain  facts  or  truths,  but  there  is 
no  warrant  for  the  supposition  that  his  intellect  may  be  dulled 
or  sharpened,  that  his  morality  can  be  debauched  or  purified,  or 
that  his  disposition  can  be  changed." 

Mr.  Sinnett,  the  well-known  Theosophist  and  investigator, 
in  his  late  work,  "  Mesmerism  and  Hypnotism,"  very  thoroughly 
disposes  of  the  false  idea  so  insiduously  propagated  by  those 
who  are  interested  in  making  the  practice  of  hypnotism  a  sub- 
ject of  legislation,  that,  even  when  performed  by  an  earnest  and 
high-minded  operator,  there  is  real  danger  to  the  subject  in  mes- 
meric treatment.  There  are  not  lacking  indications  that  the  med- 
ical faculty  are  feeling  the  ground  and  preparing  the  way  for 
introducing  into  Parliament  in  England  a  proposal  similar  to 
that  lately  introduced  into  the  New  York  State  Legislature. 
The  ground  asserted  will  be  the  danger  of  the  practice  when 
performed  by  anyone  not  a  qualified  physician.  Mr.  Sinnett 
exposes  in  the  clearest  way  the  absurdity  of  this  proposed  re- 
striction. But  in  view  of  the  threatened  action  it  is  highlv 
necessary  to  have  brought  together,  and  readily  available,  a  mass 
of  evidence  and  testimony  tending  to  rebut  the  misleading  asser- 
tions of  the  interested  class. 

THE  DANGERS  OF  HYPNOTISM  EASILY  AVOIDED  BY  CARE  ON 
THE  PART  OF  THE  HYPNOTIZED. 

As  regards  the  dangers  of  hypnotism  Dr.  Bramwell,  the 
celebrated  physician,  believed  they  were  easily  avoided  by  a  lit- 
tle care  on  the  part  of  the  subject.  He  had  been  accustomed  to 
impress  on  his  patients  that  they  were  entirely  free  to  accept  or 


HYPNOTISM    DEFENDED.  8l 

refuse  his  suggestions.  In  one  or  two  cases  he  found  his  dec- 
laration of  freedom  had  been  too  impressive ;  because  the  pa- 
tient, when  separated  from  him  for  some  time,  had  supposed 
that  he  would  not  be  able  to  renew  the  influence. 

Prof.  Delbceuf  (Liege,  Belgium)  said  that  at  all  times  the 
mind  of  man  had  been  capable  of  influencing  the  body,  but  it 
was  only  in  recent  times  that  this  action  had  scientifically  put 
in  evidence.  Was  it  necessary  for  this  purpose  to  put  the  brain 
into  an  abnormal  condition?  Was  that  which  was  called  hyp- 
notism a  state  against  nature?  Not  at  all.  The  question  car- 
ried the  answer  with  it.  To  hypnotize  a  person  was  to  per- 
suade him  that  he  could  not  do  a  thing  which  he  believed  he  could 
not  be  prevented  from  doing.  This  persuasion  might  be  indi- 
rectly produced.  The  indirect  method  consisted  in  producing 
artificially  that  which  is  known  as  hypnotism,  and  it  was  only 
the  development  of  suggestibility  —  the  exaltation  of  the  will. 

Take,  for  example,  a  high  official  whose  nervous  and  agita- 
ted state  had  rendered  him  unhappy  for  twenty  years.  He 
showed  to  him,  without  sending  him  to  sleep,  that  he  had  the 
faculty  of  not  feeling  pain.  He  passed  a  needle  through 
his  arm  without  making  him  jump.  Pie  showed  to  him  in  that 
way  the  power  of  his  will.  That  will  had  only  to  be  directed 
against  his  nervousness.  The  subject  understood  it  and  was 
cured.  In  mental  maladies  the  mind  must  act  on  the  mind,  the 
healthy  part  of  the  brain  on  the  diseased  part.  He  cited  the 
case  of  a  woman  possessed  with  the  idea  of  killing  her  husband 
and  children.  Every  day  she  asked  herself  in  rising  if  that  was 
not  the  day  for  her  to  accomplish  her  murders.  He  defied  her 
to  call  out  the  morbid  thought  while  he  looked  at  her.  Having 
succeded,  which  was  very  easy,  he  announced  to  her  that  the 
following  day  from  eight  to  nine  she  would  not  be  able  to  think 
of  killing  those  who  were  dear  to  her.  Success  was,  so  to 
speak,  inevitable.  By  degrees  it  was  possible  to  charm  away 
the  morbid  ideas  for  two  hours,  then  for  day,  then  for  a  week. 


S2  HYPNOTISM    DEFENDED. 

The  cure  was  accomplished.  Was  there  any  mystery  in  that? 
Was  there  the  production  of  an  abnormal  condition?  Evidently 
not.  Apart  from  the  starting  point,  which  was  the  conviction 
of  the  subject  that  she  was  dealing-  with  a  man  endowed  with  a 
curious  power,  or  that  she  submitted  herself  to  a  curious  treat- 
ment, the  subject  had  been  simply  led  to  act  by  her  own  will 
upon  the  ideas  which  she  thus  succeeded  in  dispelling. 

PRACTICAL     VALUE     OF     HYPNOTISM     IN     THE     HEALING     ART. 

Is  it  possible  to  induce  hallucination?  And  if  possible,  is 
it  safe? 

A  satisfactory  answer  to  these  questions  is  furnished  by  the 
continued  experimenting  in  hypnotic  hallucinations,  which  has 
been  carried  on  of  late  years  at  Xancy  and  elsewhere.  Pro- 
fessor Bernheim  and  his  friends  have  conclusively  proved  that 
hallucinations  can  be  induced  in  very  many  subjects — healthy 
both  in  body  and  mind — without  any  kind  of  consequent  ill 
effect.  There  is  no  necessary  injury  even  from  what  looks 
most  dangerous,  namelv,  the  very  frequent  induction  of  hyp- 
notic hallucination  in  a  diseased  subject.  "  In  one  of  my  pa- 
tients," says  Dr.  Bernheim,  "a  very  intelligent  woman,  affected 
with  locomotor  ataxia — I  have  allowed  myself  to  make,  with 
her  consent,  certain  experiments  (with  the  view  of  testing  the 
effect  of  repeated  hallucination),  while  carefully  watching  her 
physical  condition,  and  keeping  myself  prepared  to  stop  the 
experiment  at  the  s'ightest  alarming  indication.  I  have  on 
several  occasions  subjected  her  for  several  days  in  succession  to 
complex  and  repeated  hallucinations — hypnotic  and  post-hyp- 
notic, immediate  and  deferred — and  no  trace  has  remained  of  all 
this.  During  three  years  that  she  has  passed  in  my  ward,  in 
spite  of  very  frequent  suggestions  given  in  waking  hours  and 
in  the  trance,  her  intelligence  has  continued  equally  alert,  nor 
has  her  power  of  initiative  been  impaired." 

This  is  by  no  means  an  isolated  case.  Professor  Bernheim 
himself  has  several  other  living  examples,  some  of  whom  he 


HYPNOTISM    DEFENDED.  83 

has  allowed  me  to  see.  And  in  a  long  series  of  experiments 
begun  by  Edmund  Gurney  at  Brighton  in  1883  and  continued 
at  intervals  (mainly  by  Professor  and  Mrs.  Sidgwick)  up  to 
the  present  time,  the  same  healthv  and  intelligent  voting  men 
have  been  subjected  (1887-92)  to  scores  of  hypnotic  and  post- 
hypnotic  hallucinations,  with  no  bodily  or  mental  injury  what- 
ever. There  is,  therefore,  no  reason  to  suppose  that  the  mere 
fact  of  undergoing  a  hallucination  is,  in  itself,  either  injurious, 
or  an  indication  of  weakness  or  disease. — (Proceedings  of  the 
Society  for  Psychical  Research,  London). 

Mr.  F.  \V.  H.  Myers  says  furthermore:  "I  am  assuming, 
of  course,  that  the  experiments  are  conducted  on  suitable  sub- 
jects, and  with  proper  care.  Harm  may  no  doubt  be  clone  by 
hallucinating  weakened  subjects,  or  even  by  forgetting  to  remove 
the  hallucination  which  has  been  induced." 

An  interesting-  circiimstance  I  will  mention:  M.  de  Puyse"- 
gur  one  day  asked  a  young  woman,  Genevieve  by  name,  while 
she  was  in  the  hypnotic  condition,  how  far  his  power  over 
her  extended,  as  he  had  a  short  time  previously  commanded 
her  to  strike  him  with  a  leather  strap,  which  she  held  in  her 
hand.  "  Seeing  that  you  found  yourself  compelled  to  strike 
me  just  now,  although  I  have  done  so  much  for  you,  then  I  am 
almost  forced  to  believe  that  if  I  insisted  upon  it,  I  could  make 
you  do  whatever  I  might  wish,  for  instance,  suggest  that  you 
undress,  etc."  "  Xo,  Marquis,"  she  answered,  "that  would  be 
something  altogether  different.  As  to  me  striking  you,  I  was 
very  loth  to  do  so,  but  as  it  was  all  a  joke,  and  you  absolutely 
insisted  on  it,  I  at  once  obeyed,  but  in  regard  to  what  you 
now  mentioned,  you  would  never  be  able  to  compel  me  to  re- 
move all  my  clothing.  My  shoes  and  headwear  I  am  willing  to 
remove  as  often  as  you  desire;  but  beyond  that  you  could  not 
control  me." 

Another  young  lady,  Cathrine  Montmecourt,  who  was  present 
during  the  above  mentioned  conversation,  remarked  laughingly, 


84  HYPNOTISM    DEFENDED. 

that  when  anyone  was  in  Genevieve's  condition,  they  could  as- 
suredly be  compelled  to  do  whatever  was  suggested;  and  she 
was  far  from  being  convinced  by  the  subject's  statement. 
"  Half  an  hour  later,"  Puyse'gur  says,  "  I  had  occasion  to  put 
Cathrine  in  the  hypnotic  condition.  I  directed  the  same  ques- 
tion to  her  which  I  had  asked  Genevieve;  and  the  answer  was 
exactly  the  same.  I  reminded  her  of  her  opinion  during  her 
waking  condition.  '  Yes,  that  was  then,'  she  replied,  '  but  now 
I  look  at  it  in  a  different  light.'  '  But  if  I  was  determined 
that  you  should  undress,  what  then  :'  '  Then  I  would 
awaken,'  she  answered,  c  and  it  would  make  me  very  ill.' 
Genevieve,  who  in  the  meantime  was  brought  back  into  nor- 
mal state,  now  completely  gave  Cathrine's  previous  opinion, 
and  made  the  very  same  remarks.  However  earnestly  all 
those  who,  having  been  present  during  this  double  act,  tried  to 
convince  her  that  she  had  said  exactly  the  same  while  she  was 
in  the  hypnotic  condition,  she  would  under  no  circumstances 
believe  them. 

Dr.  Giles  de  la  Tourette  remarks  further  in  one  of  his 
works  of  1887  about  a  subject,  "  M.  Violet,"  he  says,  "  who 
during  the  hypnotic  condition,  and  in  a  complete  somnambu- 
listic state  one  day,  had  a  pen  in  his  hand. 

"  I  inquired  of  him  if  he  would  sign  his  name  to  a  blank, 
which  I  then  would  fill  out  as  I  desired.'  '  Yes,'  he  replied. 
'  Well,  then,  I  could  easily  procure  for  myself  a  deed  of  all  you 
possess,  without  you  being  at  all  aware  of  it.'  '  No,  that 
would  be  impossible,  as  I  would  be  able  to  ascertain  your  rea- 
son before  giving  my  signature.  I  could  at  least  change  my 
writing  so  that  it  would  not  be  my  usual  signature.'  '  That 
would  not  matter.  I  would  have  your  name  and  that  is  all  that 
would  be  required.'  '  But  under  those  conditions  I  would 
under  no  circumstances  give  my  signature.'  Surprised  at  the 
determined  voice  with  which  he  spoke,  I  asked :  *  But  when  I 
insisted  on  having  you  sign  vour  name,  you  would  consent,  as 


HYPNOTISM    DEFENDED.  &5 

I  have  you  completely  in  my  power.'  '  No,  your  power  over 
me  extends  only  to  a  certain  degree,  and  if  you  would  insist  on 
me  doing  anything  like  that,  it  would  occasion  me  great  pain, 
and  I  would  awaken.' 

The  Marquis  after  that  commenced  the  following  observa- 
tions: "All  my  investigations  regarding  this  science  have  con- 
vinced me  that  in  regard  to  animal  Magnetism  in  the  hands  of 
conscientious  and  honorable  operators,  we  can  only  consider  it 
as  a  remedial  agent,  with  which  to  do  as  much  good  as  possible ; 
while  in  the  hands  of  unscrupulous  people  it  does  not  occasion 
any  such  fear  as  some  suppose ;  parti v  because  in  a  case  of  that 
kind  the  operator  would  not  be  able  to  secure  complete  submis- 
sion ;  probably  because  even  if  that  would  be  possible,  the  sub- 
ject could  not  be  successfuly  suggested  to  perform  anything 
without  seriously  risking  his  health,  and  the  operator  would  not  jtju^ 
then  gain  his  object."  f^^/) 

It  is  clear  to  me  that  hypnotism  applied  in  the  rip[ht_u^v — 
and  inappropriate  cliseases^will  result  inso-ralled  wnnHprs — : 
^ven~nT3iseases  where  niodernTnedicrrresh.-iye  proved  urisnrrpss- 
ful.  As  we  have  learned  in  this  article  from  the  enunciations  x/ 
oTTFuf  best  known  hypnotists,  the  danger  attached  to  hypnotic  '  \ 
treatment  is  far  from  being  so  great  as  ignoramuses  and  its  ene- 
mies claim.  Several  of  our  leading  daily  papers  from  time  to 
time  have  contained  articles  referring  to  the  danger  of  hypno- 
tism when  practiced  by  unscrupulous  performers.  It  can  not  be 
denied  that  there  may  be,  at  times,  some  reason  for  anxiety,  but 
in  general  this  matter  has  been  much  exaggerated.  Though 
hypnotism  may  be  misused  in  a  single  case,  there  is  no  proof 
that  this  is  often  or  successfully  done.  The  hypnoti/er  must  be  a 
wretch,  with  nothing  but  bad  intentions,  who  would  take  ad- 
vantage of  his  momentary  influence  over  his  subject  to  suggest 
evil  or  criminal  actions.  But  even  to  gain  success  in  such  a  case 
the  subject  must  in  the  normal  state  be  an  immoral  or  a  very 
weak  character,  and,  hence,  easily  influenced  to  do  wrong.  The 


S6 


HYPNOTISM     DEFENDED. 


operator  in  such  a  case  is  running  a  serious  risk,  as  he  may  some 
clay  be  unmasked,  whenever  his  subject  undergoes  a  new  treat- 
ment by  another  hypnotist,  who  then  discovers  the  abuses  which 
have  previously  taken  place. 


CHAPTER    VI. 


HYPNOTIC  CLAIRVOYANCE. 

THE    MYSTERY  PRACTICED    BY    MAGICIANS  OF   EGYPT 

EXPERIMENT  IN  CLAIRVOYANCE A   STRANGE 

SEANCE    IN    EGYPT EXTRACT    FROM 

LANE'S    WORK    ON  EGYPT. 

"A  few  weeks  after  my  second  arrival  in  Egypt  my  neigh- 
bor, Osman,  interpreter  of  the  British  consulate,  brought  a 
magician  to  me,  and  I  fixed  a  day  for  his  visiting  me,  to  give 
a  proof  of  his  skill,  for  which  he  is  so  much  famed. 

"  He  came  at  the  time  appointed,  about  two  hours  before 
noon ;  but  he  seemed  uneasy,  frequently  looked  up  at  the  sky 
through  the  window  and  remarked  that  the  weather  was  unpro- 
pitious  ;  it  was  dull  and  cloudy,  and  the  wind  was  boisterous. 
The  experiment  was  performed  with  two  boys,  one  after  the 
other.  With  the  first  it  was  partly  successful,  but  with  the 
other,  it  completely  failed.  The  magician  said  he  could  do  no 
more  that  day,  and  that  he  would  come  in  the  evening  of  a  sub- 
sequent day. 

"He  kept  his  appointment,  and  admitted  that  the  time  was 
favorable.  While  waiting  for  my  neighbor,  before  mentioned, 
to  come  and  witness  the  performance,  we  took  pipes  and  coffee, 
and  the  magician  chatted  with  me  on  different  subjects.  He 
was  a  fine,  tall,  and  stout  man,  of  a  rather  fair  complexion,  with 
a  dark  brown  beard.  He  was  shabbily  dressed,  and  generally 
wore  a  large  green  turban — being  a  descendant  of  the  prophet. 
In  his  conversation  he  was  affable  and  unaffected.  lie  pro- 
fessed to  me  that  his  wonders  were  effected  by  the  agency  of 

87 


88  HYPNOTIC    CLAIRVOYANCE. 

good  spirits ;  but  to  others  he  has  said  the  reverse — that  his 
magic  was  satanic. 

"  In  preparing  for  the  experiment  of  the  magic  mirror  of 
ink,  which,  like  some  other  performances  of  a  similar  nature,  is 
here  termed  Hlarb  elmendel,'  the  magician  first  asked  me  for  a 
reed  pen  and  ink,  a  piece  of  paper  and  a  pair  of  scissors;  and, 
having  cut  off  a  narrow  strip  of  the  paper,  he  wrote  on  it  cer- 
tain forms  of  invocation,  together  with  another  charm,  by  \vhich 
he  professed  to  accomplish  the  object  of  the  experiment.  He 
did  not  attempt  to  conceal  these ;  and  on  my  asking  him  to  give 
me  copies  of  them  he  readily  consented,  and  immediately  w^rote 
them  for  me,  explaining  to  me  at  the  same  time,  that  the  object 
he  had  in  view  was  accomplished  through  the  influence  of  the 
two  first  words,  'Tarshun'  and  '  Tarzooshun,'  which,  he  said, 
were  the  names  of  two  genii — his  familiar  spirits. 

"  Having  written  these,  the  magician  cut  off  the  paper  con- 
taining the  forms  of  invocation  from  that  upon  which  the  other 
charms  were  written,  and  cut  the  former  into  six  strips.  He 
then  explained  to  me  that  the  object  of  the  latter  charm  (which 
contains  part  of  the  twenty-first  verse  of  the  Soorat  Kaf,  or 
fiftieth  chapter  of  the  Kur-an)  was  to  open  the  boy's  eyes  in  a 
supernatural  manner — to  make  his  sight  pierce  into  what  is  to 
us  the  invisible  world.  I  had  prepared,  by  the  magician's  direc- 
tion, some  frankincense  and  coriander  seed  and  a  chafing-dish 
with  some  live  charcoal  in  it.  These  were  now  brought  into 
the  room,  together  with  a  boy,  who  was  to  be  employed — he 
had  been  called  in,  by  my  desire,  from  among  some  boys  in  the 
street  returning  from  a  manufactory,  and  he  was  about  eight  or 
nine  years  of  age.  In  reply  to  my  inquiry  respecting  the 
descriptions  of  persons  who  could  see  in  the  magic  mirror  of 
ink,  the  magician  said  that  they  were  a  boy,  not  arrived  at 
puberty,  a  virgin,  a  black  female,  and  a  pregnant  woman.  The 
chafing-dish  was  placed  before  him  and  the  boy,  and  the  latter 
was  placed  on  a  seat.  The  magician  now  desired  my  servant 


HYPNOTIC    CLAIRVOYANCE. 


to  put  some  frankincense  and  coriander  seed  into  the  chafing- 
dish  ;  then  taking  hold  of  the  boy's  right  hand,  he  drew  in  the 
palm  of  it  a  magic  square,  of  which  a  copy  is  here  given- 

"  The  figures  which  it  contains  are  Arabic  numerals.  In 
the  center  he  poured  a  little  ink,  and  desired  the  boy  to  look 
into  it  and  tell  him  if  he  could  see  his  face  reflected  in  it.  He 
replied  that  he  saw  his  face  clearly.  The  magician,  holding  the 
boy's  hand  all  the  while,  told  him  to  continue  looking  intently 
into  the  ink,  and  not  to  raise  his  head. 


A 


v 


MAGIC    MIKKOK. 

u  He  then  took  one  of  the  little  strips  of  paper  inscribed 
with  the  forms  of  invocation,  and  dropped  it  into  the  chafing- 
dish  upon  the  burning  coals  and  perfumes,  which  had  already 
filled  the  room  with  their  smoke;  and  as  he  did  this  he  com- 
menced an  indistinct  muttering  of  words,  which  he  continued 
throughout  the  whole  process,  except  when  he  had  to  ask 
the  boy  a  question  or  to  tell  him  what  be  was  to  say.  The 


90  HYPNOTIC    CLAIRVOYANCE. 

piece  of  paper  containing  the  words  from  the  Kur-an  he  placed 
inside  of  the  boy's  ta-kee-yeh  or  scull-cap.  He  then  asked  him 
if  he  saw  anything  in  the  ink,  and  was  answered  '  Xo  ' ;  but 
about  a  minute  afterward  the  boy,  trembling  and  seemingly 
much  frightened,  said:  'I  see  a  man  sweeping  the  ground!' 

*  When   he   has  done   sweeping,'  said   the   magician,  '  tell  me.' 
Presently  the  boy  said :   '  He  has  done.'     The  magician  then 
again   interrupted   his   mutterings   to  ask   the   boy   if  he   knew 
what  a  '  bey-rak  '  (or  flag)  was,  and  being  answered  'yes,'  de- 
sired him  to  say,  '  Bring  a  flag.'     The  boy  did  so ;  and  soon 
said:  *  lie  has  brought  a  flag.'     c  What  color  is   it?  '  asked  the 
magician.     The  boy  replied,  '  Red.'     He   was   told  to   call   for 
another  flag,  which  he  did,  and  soon  after  he  said  that  he  saw 
another  brought,  and  that  it  was  black.     In  like  manner  he  was 
told   to   call   for  a  third,  fourth,  fifth,  sixth  and  seventh,  which 
he  described  as  being  successively  brought  before  him,  specify- 
ing their  colors  —  white,  green,  black,  red  and  blue.      The  ma- 
gician then  asked  him  (as  he  did  also  each  time  that  a  new  flag 
was  described  as  being   brought),  'How  manv  flags   have   vou 
now   before   you?'     'Seven,'   answered   the   bov.     While   this 
was  going  on,  the  magician  put  the  second   and  third   strips  of 
paper   upon  which  the  forms   of   invocation   were  written,  into 
the  chafing-dish;    and   fresh   frankincense   and   coriander   seed 
having  been  repeatedly  added,  the  fumes  became  painful  to  the 
eyes.     When  the  boy  had  described  the  seven  flags  as  appearing 
to   him,  he  was  desired  to  say:     'Bring    the   Sultan's  tent,  and 
pitch  it.'     This  he  said;  and   in   about   a   minute   after  he  said : 
'Some  men  have  brought  the  tent  —  a  large  green  tent  —  they 
are  pitching  it; 'and  presently  added:  'They  have  set  it  up.' 

*  Now,'  said   the  magician,  '  order   the  soldiers  to   come,  and    to 
pitch  their  camp  around  the  tent  of  the  Sultan.'     The  boy  did 
as  he  was  desired,  and   immediately  said  :  '  I  see   a  great  many 
soldiers,  with  their  tents  ;  they  have  pitched  their  tents.'  He  was 
then  told  to  order  that  the  soldiers  should  be  drawn  u\i  in  ranks; 


HYPNOTIC    CLAIRVOYANCE.  91 

and  having  done  so,  he  presently  said  that  he  saw  them  thus  ar- 
ranged. The  magician  had  put  the  fourth  of  the  little  strips  of 
paper  into  the  chafing-dish,  and  soon  after  did  the  same  with  the 
fifth.  He  now  said :  '  Tell  some  of  the  people  to  hring  a  bull.' 
The  boy  gave  the  order  required,  and  said;  '  I  see  a  bull;  it  is 
red ;  four  men  are  dragging  it  along,  and  three  are  beating  it.' 
He  was  told  to  desire  them  to  kill  it,  and  cut  it  up,  and  to  put 
the  meat  into  sauce-pans  and  cook  it.  He  did  as  he  was  directed, 
and  described  these  operations  as  apparently  performed  before 
his  eyes.  'Tell  the  soldiers,'  said  the  magician,  'to  eat  it.'  The 
boy  did  so,  and  said  :  '  They  are  eating  it ;  they  have  done,  and 
are  washing  their  hands.'  The  magician  then  told  him  to  call 
for  the  Sultan ;  and  the  boy  having  done  this,  said :  '  I  see  the 
Sultan  riding  to  his  tent  on  a  bay  horse,  and  he  has  on  his  head 
a  high,  red  cap ;  he  has  alighted  at  his  tent,  and  sat  down  within 
it.'  '  Desire  them  to  bring  coffee  to  the  Sultan,'  said  the  ma- 
gician, '  and  to  form  the  court.'  The  orders  were  given  by  the 
bov,  and  he  said  he  saw  them  performed.  The  magician  had  put 
the  last  of  the  six  little  strips  of  paper  into  the  chafing-dish. 
In  his  mutterings  I  distinguished  nothing  but  the  words 
of  the  written  invocation,  frequently  repeated,  excepting 
on  two  or  three  occasions,  when  I  heard  him  sav,  '  If  they  de- 
mand information,  inform  them ;  and  be  ve  veracious.'  But 
much  that  he  repeated  was  inaudible ;  and  as  I  did  not  ask  him 
to  teach  me  his  art,  I  do  not  pretend  to  assert  that  I  am  fully 
acquainted  with  his  invocation. 

"  He  then  addressed  himself  to  me,  and  asked  me  if  I  wished 
the  bov  to  see  any  person,  who  was  absent,  or  dead.  I  named 
Lord  Xelson,  of  whom  the  bov  had  evidently  never  heard  ;  for  it 
was  with  much  difficulty  that  he  pronounced  the  name,  after  sev- 
eral trials.  The  magician  desired  the  boy  to  say  to  the  Sultan, 
'My  master  salutes  thee,  and  desires  thee  to  bring  Lord  Xelson 
—  bring  him  before  my  eyes  that  I  may  see  him,  speedily.' 
The  boy  said  so,  and  almost  immediately  added  :  '  A  messenger 


C)2  HYPNOTIC    CLAIRVOYANCE. 

has  gone  and  has  returned,  and  brought  a  man,  dressed  in  a 
black  suit  of  European  clothes ;  the  man  has  lost  his  left  arm.' 
He  then  paused  for  a  moment  or  two,  and  looking  more  closely 
into  the  ink,  said;  '  Xo ;  he  has  not  lost  his  arm;  but  it  is 
placed  to  his  breast.'  This  correction  made  his  description  more 
striking  than  it  had  been  without  it,  since  Lord  Nelson  gener- 
ally had  his  empty  sleeve  attached  to  the  breast  of  his  coat,  but 
it  was  the  right  arm  that  he  had  lost.  Without  saying  that  I 
suspected  the  boy  had  made  a  mistake,  I  asked  the  magician 
whether  the  object  appeared  in  the  ink  as  if  actually  before  the 
eyes,  or  as  in  a  glass,  which  make  the  right  appear  the  left.  He 
answered,  '  That  they  appear  as  in  a  mirror.'  This  rendered 
the  boy's  description  faultless. 

"  The  next  person  I  called  for  was  a  native  of  Egypt,  who 
has  been  for  many  years  a  resident  of  England,  where  he  had 
adopted  our  dress,  and  who  had  long  been  confined  to  his  bed 
by  illness  before  I  embarked  for  this  country.  I  thought  that 
his  name  —  one  not  very  uncommon  in  Egypt — might  make 
the  boy  describe  him  incorrrectly,  though  another  boy,  on  a 
former  visit  to  the  magician,  had  described  this  same  person  as 
wearing  an  European  dress,  like  that  in  which  I  last  saw  him. 
In  this  present  case  the  boy  said  :  '  Here  is  a  man  brought  on  a 
kind  of  a  bier,  and  wrapped  up  in  a  sheet.'  This  description 
would  suit,  supposing  the  person  in  question  to  be  still  confined 
to  his  bed,  or  if  he  be  dead.  The  boy  described  his  face  as  cov- 
ered, and  was  told  to  order  that  it  should  be  uncovered.  This 
he  did,  and  said  :  '  His  face  is  pale,  and  he  has  a  mustache,  but 
no  beard  ; '  which  was  correct. 

"  Several  other  persons  were  successively  called  for,  but  the 
boy's  description  of  them  wrere  imperfect,  though  not  incorrect. 
He  represented  each  object  as  appearing  less  distinct  than  the 
preceding  one,  as  if  his  light  was  gradually  becoming  dim  ;  he 
was  a  minute  or  more  before  he  could  give  any  account  of  the 
persons  he  proposed  to  see  towards  the  close  of  the  perform- 


HYPNOTIC    CLAIRVOYANCE.  93 

ance,  and  the  magician  said  it  was  useless  to  proceed  with  him. 

"  Another  boy  was  then  brought  in,  and  the  magic  square, 
etc.,  made  in  his  hand,  but  he  could  see  nothing.  The  magician 
said  he  was  too  old. 

"  Though  completely  puzzled,  I  was  somewhat  disappointed 
with  his  performances,  for  they  fell  short  of  what  he  had  accom- 
plished in  many  instances  in  presence  of  certain  of  my  friends 
and  countrymen.  On  one  of  these  occasions  an  Englishman 
present,  ridiculed  the  performance,  and  said  that  nothing  would 
satisfy  him  but  a  correct  description  of  the  appearance  of  his 
own  father,  of  whom  he  was  sure  no  one  of  the  company  had 
any  knowledge.  The  boy  accordingly  having  called  by  name 
for  the  person  alluded  to,  described  a  man  in  a  Frank  dress, 
with  his  hand  placed  to  his  head,  wearing  spectacles,  and  with 
one  foot  on  the  ground  and  the  other  raised  behind  him,  as  if 
he  were  stepping  down  from  a  seat.  The  description  was  ex- 
actly true  in  every  respect ;  the  peculiar  position  of  the  hand 
was  occasioned  by  an  almost  constant  headache,  and  that  of  the 
foot  or  leg  by  a  stiff  knee,  caused  by  a  fall  from  a  horse  in  hunt- 
ing. I  am  assured  that  on  this  occasion  the  boy  accurately 
described  each  person  and  thing  that  was  called  for. 

"  On  another  occasion  Shakespeare  was  described  with  the 
most  minute  correctness,  both  as  to  person  and  dress;  and  I 
might  add  several  other  cases  in  which  the  same  magician  has 
excited  astonishment  in  the  sober  minds  of  Englishmen  of  my 
acquaintance.  A  short  time  since,  after  performing  in  the  usual 
manner  by  means  of  a  boy,  he  prepared  the  magic  mirror  in  the 
hand  of  a  young  lady,  who,  on  looking  into  it  for  a  little  while, 
said  that  she  saw  a  broom  sweeping  the  ground  without  any- 
body holding  it,  and  was  so  much  frightened  that  she  would 
look  no  longer." 

AUTHOR'S  COMMENTS  ON  THE  A  HOVE. 

The  subjects  of  this  interesting  experiment  with  the  magic 
mirror  drawn  in  ink  in  the  palm  of  the  hand  were,  I  think, 


94  HYPNOTIC    CLAIRVOYANCE. 

persons  in  a  light  hypnotic  state.  Everyone  who  knows  a  little 
about  hypnotism  will  understand  this,  when  he  notices  the  fol- 
lowing:  Fir<t,  that  the  subject  for  the  experiment  was  told  to 
have  his  whole  mind  fixed  on  the  coming  subject ;  second,  the 
continuous  gazing  at  the  figures  drawn  in  the  hand.  One 
thing  which  is  especially  remarkable  and  impossible  to  pass 
without  notice  is  that  the  subjects  for  the  experiments  in  nearly 
all  successful  cases  were  minors,  and  consequently  very  sensi 
tive  and  easily  hypnotized.  I  feel,  therefore,  quite  certain  that 
I  have  the  best  reason  for  my  opinion — especially  as  several 
times,  with  more  or  less  success,  I  have  tried  the  same  experi- 
ments. And  I  have  noticed  that  the  subjects  nearly  always 
get  paler,  often  breathe  with  difficulty,  the  pupils  of  the  eyes 
become  more  than  usually  enlarged.  Furthermore,  the  subjects 
were,  for  a  few  minutes  after  the  sleep,  somewhat  beside 
themselves,  which  showed  the  results  of  self-hypnotism. 

CLAIRVOYANT    EXPERIMENTS    IN    GOTHENBURG,    SWEDEN. 

When  in  Gothenburg,  Sweden,  about  seven  years  ago,  1 
gave  a  lecture  and  hypnotic  seance  in  the  home  of  a  well- 
known  Swedish  nobleman,  Count  Y—  — .  A  few  words 
about  the  magic  mirrors  made  the  count  ask  me  to  try  this  ex- 
periment. In  the  audience  were  about  25  to  30  persons — all 
friends  and  acquaintances  of  the  family;  but  I  saw  in  an  in- 
stant that  I  could  do  the  experiment  with  none  of  them.  It 
was  somewhat  late  in  the  evening,  about  10  o'clock.  A  broker 
in  the  audience  said  that  a  girl  of  10  or  11  years  of  age,  the 
daughter  of  one  of  his  employes,  very  well  answered  the 
description  I  had  given  of  a  sensitive.  He  gave  her  name  and 
address,  which  was  near  by,  and  a  messenger  was  hurriedly 
dispatched  to  secure  her  presence.  The  messenger  returned 
with  the  girl,  as  the  parents  did  not  at  all  object  to  the 
experiment.  We  continued  the  seance ;  the  girl  was  re- 
markably sensitive  and  a  superb  clairvoyant.  She  was  told  to 


HYPNOTIC    CLAIRVOYANCE. 


95 


see  the  Countess  X.  in  Stockholm.  She  answered  "yes"  with- 
out the  slightest  hesitation,  and  gave  a  full  description  of  the 
countess  and  the  room  in  which  she  (the  countess)  was  that 
very  same  evening.  (Stockholm,  the  metropolis  of  Sweden, 
is  350  miles  from  Gothenburg,  arid  the  little  girl  had  never 
seen  the  lady  in  question).  Then  she  proceeded  to  give  a 
minute  description  of  a  young  gentleman  whom  she  saw  in  the 
same  room  together  with  the  countess.  Several  in  the  audience 
were  laughing ;  the  description  was  very  accurate,  and  the 
very  picture  of  Count  V.}  who  had  been  for  the  last  six  months 
the  countess's  very  ardent  and  favored  admirer*  But  at  last  the 
description  became  somewhat  exaggerated  and  a  little  frivolous, 
so  I  was  obliged  to  cut  short  the  experiment.  Something  con- 
cerning the  countess  and  her  lover  was  not  pleasant  for  the 
audience,  and  especially  Baron  V.  looked  very  annoyed.  I 
pitied  the  countess,  too,  who,  in  supposed  safety  behind  locked 
doors,  thought  herself  barred  out  from  the  world's  slander, 
knowing  nothing  about  the  fact  that  she  really  was  on  public 
exhibition.  The  next  night  I  went  to  Christiania,  on  a  four 
months'  trip  through  Norway,  to  lecture  upon  hypnotism. 
When  I  again  reached  Gothenburg,  I  met  my  former  host. 
He  told  me  that  he  in  the  meantime  had  looked  the  matter  up 
concerning  our  somnambulist's  description  of  the  countess,  and 
found  everything  correct.  Also  a  laughable  situation,  which 
she  had  the  same  evening  predicted  for  the  countess,  on  a 
certain  dav,  proved  to  be  correct. 

A    GYI'SY    PALMISTER     PROVES    AN    EXCELLENT    CLAIRVOYANT 

AND    PREDICTS    FOR    THE    DANISH    ROYAL    FAMILY 

ITS    FUTURE    DESTINY. 

Christian  /A",  King  of  Denmark,  is  the  son  of  Wilhehn, 
Duke  of  Schleswig-Holstein,  Sonderborg  and  Gliicksborg.  He 
was  born  April  8th,  in  the  year  1818.  When  a  poor  prince  he 
married  Princess  Louise,  daughter  of  the  Duke  of  I  lessen- 


()6  HYPNOTIC    CLAIRVOYANCE. 

Cassel — and  vet  you  can  hear  from  high  and  low  the  old  story, 
which  is  like  Andersen's  fairy  tales,  about  the  young  princesses, 
Alexandria  and  Dagmar,  sewing  their  own  gowns  and  helping 
their  mother  in  the  house — the  two  fairy  daughters  of  Denmark 
who  some  day  should  he,  one  the  popular  Princess  of  Wales, 
with  the  double  crown  as  Queen  of  England  and  Empress  of 
India  waiting  for  her  graceful  head  ;  the  other  empress  of  the 
vast  Russias,  the  mild,  loving  light  in  the  life  of  the  great  Czar. 
But  in  their  early  childhood  days  it  was  nothing  unusual  to 
see  the  whole  family — father,  mother  and  children — together  in 
one  carriage;  and  it  is  said  that  the  king,  who  then  lived  in 
Copenhagen  as  officer  in  the  army,  was  obliged  to  give  lessons 
in  drawing  to  earn  enough  for  the  necessities  of  life.  On  a 
trip  through  Germany,  the  princely  officer,  his  wife  and  three 
daughters  met  a  gypsy,  who  begged  permission  to  read  the 
young  daughters'  destiny  in  the  palms  of  their  hands.  None 
objected ;  she  predicted  that  the  Princess  Alexandra,  now  mar- 
ried to  the  Prince  of  Wales,  in  the  future  was  destined  to  wear 
a  double  crown  ;  that  Dagmar,  now  Empress  of  Russia,  should 
be  the  head  of  a  great  empire;  and  Thyra  would  get  the  title 
of  queen,  but  no  kingdom.  As  it  is  known,  the  last  princess  is 
married  to  the  Duke  of  Cumberland,  by  right — but  on  account 
of  the  iron  hand  of  the  German  Empire,  only  by  name — the 
King  of  Hanover.  The  princesses  were  laughing,  without  the 
slightest  idea  that  every  word  would  prove  to  be  the  truth.  Of 
course  it  was  for  them  as  castles  built  in  the  air.  There  was  no 
luxury,  no  splendor,  in  the  house  of  the  poor  officer,  no  great 
receptions  of  emperors  and  kings,  but  it  was  a  home,  a  home  as 
happy  as  but  few  in  the  whole  of  Europe.  And  still  now — 
yes,  that  is  the  best  proof — once  a  year,  every  summer,  the 
world's  eyes  are  turned  to  Fredensborg,  the  Danish  king's 
country  residence.  There  they  gather  together — with  nearly 
as  little  space  as  once  in  the  small  carriage — daughters  and  sons, 
with  their  husbands  and  wives,  nearlv  the  whole  rovaltv  of 


HYPNOTIC    CLAIRVOYANCE.  9" 

Europe,  with  children  and  grandchildren,  and  pass  their  days 
in  sunshine  and  happiness  with  the  father-in-law  and  the  mother- 
in-law  of  nearly  the  whole  of  Europe. 

The   gypsy  prediction    has   proved    to   be   true — everybody 
knows  it  is  true. 


CHAPTER   VII. 


CRYSTAL  VISIONS. 

MARVELLOUS    EXPERIMENTS    PRODUCED    BY    LOOKING    IXTO    A 
TUMBLER    OF    WATER    AND    A    PLAIN    CRYSTAL. 

Mr.  F.  W.  H.  Myers  says  in  December  number  of  Psychical 
Research,  1892:  "I  will  add  a  few  detached  cases  of  crystal 
vision  for  which  the  authority  seems  good.  In  the  first  case 
the  seer,  now  married  to  an  Englishman,  is  known  to  me,  and 
the  witnesses,  Colonel  Wickham  and  his  wife,  Princess  di 
Christofaro,  (whose  acquaintance  I  made  in  consequence  of 
their  publication  of  the  following  incidents  in  Light}  have 
assured  me  that  the  following  incidents,  although  now  the  only 
ones  which  can  be  clearly  remembered,  were  paralleled  bv  sev- 
eral others  during  the  time  of  Ruth's  possession  of  the  power 
which  seems  now  to  have  left  her.  She  has  never  been  in  any 
way  a  professional  clairvoyant,  and  is,  so  far  as  I  can  judge,  a 
trustworthy  person.  The  value  of  the  following  case,  however, 
does  not  depend  upon  her  trustworthiness,  but  on  the  recollec- 
tion retained  by  Colonel  Wickham  and  his  wife  of  incidents, 
which,  even  if  we  suppose  errors  of  memory  as  to  details,  were 
of  a  very  definite  type. 

Early  in  the  spring  of  the  year  1885,  I  was  living  at  Colaba 
with  my  husband,  a  major  of  the  Royal  artillery.  Colaba  is 
the  Royal  artillery  station,  and  is  situated  about  two  miles  from 
Bombay.  For  some  little  time  I  had  been  studying  Gregory's 
Magnetism.  The  subject  possessing  a  peculiar  fascination  for 
me,  I  had  experimented  occasionally,  with  varying  success,  on 

the  different  servants  (Indian  for  the  most  part)  of  my  estab- 

98 


CRYSTAL    VISIONS. 


99 


lishment.  Over  one  girl,  a  half-caste,  my  children's  nurse,  I 
possessed  great  influence,  and  used  frequently  to  magnetize  a 
tumbler  of  water,  so  that  by  making  her  look  therein  I  might 
learn  what  my  friends  at  a  distance  were  doing. 

This  girl  was  no  ignorant  native,  but  a  well-educated  young 
woman,  able  to  read  and  write,  who  spoke  English  nearly  as 
well  as  I  do  myself,  having  been  educated  in  the  Protestant 
training  school  at  Belgaum.  Many  things  which  this  girl  told 
me,  I  have  since  discovered  to  have  actually  occurred;  others  I 
have  never  yet  been  able  to  verify. 

One  dav,  the  morning  Lord  Reay  was  expected  to  arrive  in 
Bombay,  the  Royal  artillery  (of  which  my  husband  was  then 
in  command)  was,  together  with  the  other  European  troops 
quartered  at  Calaba,  ordered  to  line  the  approach  to  the  landing 
place  at  the  Apollo  Bunder,  all  officers  having  to  appear  in  full 
regimentals.  We  were  still  sitting  at  breakfast  when  my  hus- 
band called  to  his  orderly  to  get  out  his  uniform  and  place  it 
ready  for  him  to  put  on  The  man  soon  returned,  and  with  a 
bewildered  air,  stammered,  as  he  salaamed  before  his  master: 
"  Sahib,  me  no  can  find  the  dress  pouch-belt."  "  Don't  talk 
nonsense,  you  must  be  as  blind  as  a  bat,"  ejaculated  the  major, 
as,  rising  impatiently  from  his  seat,  he  walked  into  the  dressing 
room.  Soon,  his  voice,  raised  in  angry  exclamation,  burst  on 
my  ears.  From  what  I  heard  I  gathered  that  the  dress  pouch - 
belt  was  really  not  to  be  found,  and  further  that  my  enraged 
husband  was  accusing  each  and  all  of  his  servants  of  having 
appropriated  it.  Piteous  cries  of,  "  Xot  me,  sahib,  me  good 
man,  me  not  tief,''  filled  the  air.  The  jabbering,  yelling  and 
hooting  was  perfectly  deafening.  My  husband  returned  to  the 
breakfast  room.  "Now  then,"  he  said,  "here  is  a  brilliant 
opportunity  of  testing  the  verity  of  Ruth's  clairvoyance.  Get 
her  up  here  and  ask  her  to  find  my  pouch-belt."  I  called  Ruth, 
who  appeared  pale  and  trembling,  half  imagining  we  suspected 
her  of  the  theft.  When  I  explained  to  her  what  I  required  of 


IOO  CRYSTAL    VISIONS. 

her  she  at  first  begged  to  he  excused,  declaring  that  her  fellow 
servants  would  never  forgive  her  should  the  thief  he  discovered 
through  her  instrumentality.  I  quieted  her  fears  by  promising 
her  that  should  she  see  the  face  of  the  thief  in  the  tumbler  she 
need  only  reveal  the  fact  to  me;  that  I  would  not  tell  the  sahib, 
but  would  sptak  to  the  pilferer  of  the  belt  myself,  and  on  his 
restoring  the  missing  article  would  condone  the  theft,  not  letting 
my  husband  know  who  had  purloined  the  belt. 

Filling  a  tumbler  with  water,  I  placed  my  left  hand  under 
it,  and  made  passes  with  my  right  over  it.  1  then  bade  Ruth 
taste  it.  "It  is  bitter  enough,  I  think,"  she  said.  "If  mine 
sahib  pleases  to  mesmerize  me,  I  think  I  can  see  now."  Per- 
haps it  may  be  as  well  to  mention  here  that  Ruth  alwavs  de- 
clared the  mesmerized  water  had  a  bitter  flavor  after  being  oper- 
ated on.  I  have  frequently  mesmerized  one  tumbler  of  water  and 
placed  another,  similar  in  appearance  in  every  respect,  beside  it. 
I  have  then  called  Ruth  and  asked  her  which  was  the  mesmer- 
ized and  which  was  the  untouched  water.  She  would  taste 
both  and  each  time  invariably  detected  the  difference.  Strange 
to  sav,  also,  when  I  at  one  time  purchased  a  powerful  magnet 
(thinking  that  perhaps  it  would  prove  a  more  powerful  mag- 
netizer  than  my  own  hand),  Ruth  declined  to  look  into  the  wa- 
ter so  magnetized,  declaring  that  she  saw  flames  in  it,  and  that 
they  leapt  up  as  if  they  wanted  to  scorch  her  face!  It  was  of  no 
use  my  trying  to  deceive  her ;  she  invariably  knew  which  was 
the  "condemned  tumbler"  (as  she  called  it). 

Having  made  this  lengthy,  though  somewhat  necessary  di- 
gression, I  will  now  proceed  with  my  story.  We  left  Ruth 
just  ready  to  look  in  the  tumbler.  She  bent  her  head  over  it, 
and  a  silence  of  a  few  seconds'  duration  ensued.  "  Can  you  see 
anything,  Ruth  ?  "  at  last  I  said.  "  No  !  mine  sahib,  nothing." 
*'  Look  for  the  thief,"  1  commanded  firmly,  making  fresh 
passes  over  her  head  and  the  back  of  her  neck,  but  all  to  no 
purpose.  Ruth  persisted  that  she  saw  nothing.  I  began  to 


CRYSTAL     VISIONS.  IO1 

think  that  she  was  an  impostor,  and  had  humbugged  me  sys- 
tematically throughout. 

Suddenly  an  idea  struck  me.  We  would  try  another  way. 
"Ruth,"  I  said,  "  look  for  sahib  the  day  he  last  wore  the  dress 
pouch-belt."  Silence  again.  Then,  "I  see  sahib,"  said  the  girl 
dreamily.  "He  is  dressing,  he  puts  on  his  uniform,  now  the 
pouch-belt.  Ah !  he  has  left  the  room."  "  Follow  him,"  I  said 
firmly.  "  Sahib  is  getting  on  his  horse ;  he  is  riding  away." 
"Don't  leave  him  a  moment,"  I  cried.  "Ah!  but  he  goes  so 
fast.  lam  tired,"  gasped  the  girl  breathlessly.  "Go  on,"  I 
said.  "  Sahib  is  with  the  other  sahibs,  and  there  are  many  sol- 
diers and  people.  It  is  a  grand  Tomasha ;  some  great  person 
is  going  away.  They  all  stand  near  the  water."  "  Then  rest," 
I  said,  "  but  don't  take  your  eyes  off  sahib."  She  was  silent 
for  a  brief  space,  then  said,  "  Sahib  has  gone  into  a  big  house 
by  the  water.  He  goes  into  a  dressing  room.  He  changes  his 
clothes,  all  his  regimentals  are  put  in  his  tin  case,  but  the  pouch- 
belt  is  left  out.  It  is  hanging  on  a  peg  in  the  dressing  room  of 
the  house  by  the  sea." 

"The  Yacht  Club!"  cried  my  husband.  "Patilla"  (to  his  or- 
derh  ),  "send  some  one  at  once  and  see  if  the  belt  has  been 
left  there." 

Patilla  salaamed  and  retired,  followed  by  the  rest  of  the 
servants. 

"I  wonder,"  mused  my  husband,  "if  I  really  left  it  at  the 
Yacht  Club  after  all?  The  last  day  I  wore  it  was  when  Lord 
Ripon  left  for  England." 

'•  \Ve  shi\U  soon  see,"  said  I,  triumphantly.  "  I,  for  one, 
have  no  dou\t  whatever  that  the  belt  would  be  found  there." 

In  as  short  &.  time  as  was  compatible  with  the  distance  to  be 
traversed  the  mtyenger  returned.  The  rush  of  many  feet  and 
the  jabbering  of  mNjy  voices  convinced  me  before  I  saw  him 
that  his  quest  had  bee  >  a  '•ucces^ful  one. 


IO2  CRYSTAL    VISION'S. 

He  ran  panting  up  the  stairs,  the  belt  held  high  above  his 
head.  He  had  found  it  as  Ruth  had  seen  it — in  the  house  by  the 
sea,  banging  on  a  peg  in  a  dressing  room  of  the  Yacht  club. 

Ruth  could  have  had  no  idea  where  the  belt  was  left.  She 
had  been  with  me  a  short  time,  and  entered  my  service  long 
after  Lord  Ripon's  departure  from  Bombay.  In  the  spring  of 
the  same  year  I  was  much  interested  in  a  polo  tournament  about 
to  be  held  at  Meerut.  A  then  great  friend  of  mine  was  to  take 
part  in  this,  and  as  he  was  addicted  to  falling  off  occasionally, 
though  in  reality  a  splendid  rider  and  player,  I  was  feeling 
rather  anxious  on  his  account.  I  again  called  Ruth  to  my 
assistance.  We  shut  ourselves  up  in  my  room  and  I  mesmer- 
ized the  water  as  before,  Ruth,  however,  requesting  me  to  place 
a  piece  of  brown  paper  under  the  tumbler  of  water,  declaring 
she  could  see  more  plainly  when  that  was  beneath  it.  She 
placed  her  hands  around  the  glass  to  exclude  the  light. 

"Go  to  Meerut,"  I  said,  steadily. 

After  impatiently  waiting  for  about  ten  minutes,  Ruth  said: 
"  I  am  there." 

"  Find  Sahib  -  — ,"  I  said,  mentioning  the  name  of  my 
friend. 

"I  see  a  tall,  dark  man,  dressed  in  blue  and  white;  he  has  a 
light  black  mustache,  and  is  thin,  with  large,  fierce  eyes." 

"  Follow  him  and  see  how  he  gets  on." 

"He  gets  on  all  right, but  the  other  side  is  winning.  Ah!" 
she  cried  out,  piteously,  "a  gentleman  has  been  bitten  by  a  horse 
in  the  leg.  He  is  in  great  pain." 

"Not  my  friend?"  1  inquired  anxiously. 

"No!  Not  Mem  Sahib's  friend;  this  is  a  fair  gentleman, 
red  faced,  with  very  light  hair." 

"Ask  his  name,"  I  said,  fixing  my  eyes  intentlv  on  her,  an  1 
exerting  my  will  power  to  its  uttermost. 

"  I  can't ;   how  can  I  ?  "  she  said  doubtfully. 

"  Do  as  I  bid  you,"  I  replied  firmly. 


CRYSTAL    VISION'S.  1O3 

"  I  will  ask  liimself,"  she  said,  '-if  you  can  make  me  visible 
to  him." 

I  tried  with  all  my  might;  all  to  no  use. 

"Stop!   I  hear  his  name;  it  is  Captain  " 

I  almost  jumped  out  of  mv  chair  with  delight.  My  friend, 
I  thought,  she  might  have  recognized  from  his  photograph;  but 
this  other  man  she  had  never  seen,  never  heard  me  mention. 
Indeed,  I  had  never  even  thought  of  him  since  I  left  the  up- 
country  station  in  which  my  husband's  battery  and  his  regiment 
had  previously  been  quartered. 

I  don't  remember  now  which  side  it  was  that  eventually 
won  the  tournament,  fullv  five  years  having  elapsed  since  that 
time ;  but  this  I  do  remember,  however.  When  my  husband 
returned  in  the  evening,  I  asked  him  if  he  had  any  news  of  the 
polo  tournament.  "  No,"  he  said,  "  we  shall  not  hear  until  to- 
morrow." 

"  I  can  give  you  some  news,  though,"  I  said.  "  Ruth  asserts 

that  Captain ,  of  the  Seventeenth  Lancers,  has  been  bitten 

in  the  leg — is  all  right,  though ;  but  from  what  Ruth  saw  I 
fancv  our  friends  were  losing."  My  husband  laughed.  "  We 
shall  see  to-morrow  if  Ruth  is  again  right,"  he  said. 

He  told  the  officers  of  the  Royal  artillery  mess  of  my  last 
"tumbler-telegram,"  as  they  called  them,  and  I  believe  much 
merriment  was  excited  at  my  gullibility.  Let  those  laugh  who 
win,  though.  The  telegrams  the  next  day  proved  Ruth's  story 
to  be  perfectly  correct  in  every  particular. 

Soon  after  this  a  friend  of  mv  husband's  came  to  see  us. 
This  gentleman  was  the  cantonment  magistrate  at  Assixurgh. 
My  husband  was  telling  him  about  Ruth  and  her  strange  pow- 
ers, when  he  asked  me  if  I  had  any  objection  to  his  testing 
them,  to  the  end  that  he  might  recover  some  valuable  property 
he  had  lost. 

"  I  must  tell  you,  however,"  he  said  to  me,  "  that  I  am  an 
utter  skeptic;  and  it  will  require  strong  proof  to  convince  me." 


*C>4  CRYSTAL    VISIONS. 

I  felt  rather  offended,  for  if  the  girl  was  a  humbug,  I  was  a 
dupe  or  worse.  I  sent  for  Ruth,  who  was  as  indignant  as  my- 
self. At  first  she  distinctly  refused  to  do  the  sahib's  bidding, 
but  I  impressed  it  upon  her  that  the  credit  of  both  of  us  was  at 
stake,  on  which  she  at  length  unwillingly  consented.  The  usual 
preliminaries  having  been  gone  through,  he  questioned  her 
through  me,  as  follows: — "Go  to  Assizurgh  and  describe  my 
bedroom  in  it.-" 

This  she  did  ;  correctly,  too,  as  he  at  once  acknowledged. 

"  Now  tell  me  what  I  lost?" 

"I  see  a  box,  not  a  large  box.  It  is  a  tin  one;  it  contains 
money  and  a  roll  of  papers." 

"Right  you  are,"  exclaimed  the  astonished  Major.  "  Xow, 
tell  me  where  that  box  is  now  ?  " 

"  It  is  in  a  small  room.      Shall  I  open  it?" 

"Yes ;   and  tell  me  what  is  in  it." 

She  paused  a  little. 

"  Only  papers,  Sahib,  the  money  is  gone." 

•'  Describe  the  man  who  took  it." 

"He  is  not  there;  the  room  is  empty." 

"  Look  for  him." 

"  He  is  in  Sahib's  room.  He  is  a  little,  dark  man,  with  a 
pleasant  face;  his  dress  is  white;  he  has  a  scarlet  cammerbund, 
and  a  scarlet  and  gold  turban.  He  has  a  scar  on  his  left  hand." 

"  My  butler,  by  jingo !  The  very  man  I  suspected,  too," 
said  the  Major. 

***** 

A  few  days  afterwards,  when  Major  —  -  had  returned 
to  Assizurgh,  he  wrote  to  me  and  told  me  he  had  found  the 
box,  as  described,  in  his  servant's  house,  or,  rather,  cabin,  but 
that  no  papers  remained  in  it.  It  was  empty.  This  was  the 
thing  that  was  not  correct  in  Ruth's  statement. 

I  concluded  she  saw  the  box  before  the  papers  were  re- 
moved from  it.  I  often  found  that  she  did  not  seem  to  have 


CRYSTAL    VISION'S.  105 

much  control  over  time,  as  regards  past  events,  though  she 
would  decribe  the  actual  occurrence  rightly  enough. 

At  another  time  I  lost  a  piece  of  pale,  pink  satin  embroid- 
eied  with  silver.  It  could  be  found  nowhere.  I  was  unwilling 
to  believe  that  either  of  my  servants  had  taken  it,  for  they  were 
devoted  to  me,  and  had  one  and  all  been  in  my  service  a  long 
time,  with  the  exception  of  my  Dirzee  (a  native  tailor).  I 
could  not  suspect  him  of  having  taken  it,  as  he  never,  by  any 
chance,  as  far  as  I  was  aware  of,  had  access  to  my  rooms. 
However,  through  Ruth  he  was  detected  as  the  thief,  and  re- 
turned the  missing  article,  though  he  spread  the  report  that  I 
was  a  witch  afterwards,  on  hearing  how  the  theft  had  been  dis- 
covered. 

In  this  case,  as  will  be  observed,  the  visions  are  of  the  retro- 
cognitive  type.  Of  the  same  class  is  the  incident  that  follows, 
which  I  quote  from  a  recent  article  in  the  Contemporary  Rc-cictv, 
called  "  Trace,"  signed  with  the  pseudonym  of  "  I.  M.  Soames." 
Its  writer,  as  I  am  allowed  to  state,  is  Major  Schreiber,  a  retired 
officer,  known  to  me. 

We  arranged  an  afternoon  for  our  experiments  on  the 
crystal,  and  after  tea  was  over  we  set  to  work.  My  wife  was 
placed  in  a  very  comfortable  chair,  and  the  lights  were  turned 
down — not  out,  by  anv  means,  but  so  as  not  to  dazzle  the  eve, 
while  at  the  same  time  everything  was  distinctly  visible  in  the 
room.  I  put  her  to  sleep  and  gave  her  the  crystal.  The  effect 
was  instantaneous.  She  commenced  speaking  at  once,  and  said  : 

"  Oh,  what  lovely  flowers,  and  what  a  perfume  !  "  And 
she  began  to  draw  her  breath  through  her  nose,  as  if  inhaling 
the  scent  of  flowers.  I  asked  her  then  where  she  was.  She 
said  :  "  I  am  in  the  most  lovely  garden  I  have  ever  seen.  It 
is  not  in  England.  I  am  standing  in  a  broad  pathway  ;  on  one 
side  is  a  hedge  of  white  azaleas,  and  on  the  other  pink.  They 
are  about  six  or  seven  feet  high;  between  these  hedges  and  the 
path  there  are  broad  borders,  in  which  arc  pi  mted  these 


IO6  CRYSTAL     VIMONS. 

sweet-smelling  flowers.  There  are  beautiful  trees  all  about  tbe 
garden,  such  as  I  have  never  seen  before,  and  at  the  end  of  the 
path  is  a  little  black  and  gold  house,  with  such  a  funny  little 
man  sitting-  outside." 

This  dream  I  ordered  her  to  remember  when  she  awoke,  and 
there  is  a  sequel  to  it  that  1  will  relate  further  on. 

She  resumed  :  "  I  can  see  now  a  small  shop  at  the  junction 
of  two  streets,  and  a  door  opening  on  each  street.  In  the 
middle  of  the  shop  is  a  glass  case,  like  those  one  sees  in  a  jew- 
eler's. There  is  a  tall  man,  very  much  like  a  Jew,  with  a  long 
black  beard.  He  is  bargaining  with  another  man." 

"What  is  the  other  man  like?"  I  asked. 

'•He  is  about  the  middle  height,  and  has  gray  hair  and  mus- 
tache, a  plain  face.  I  know  him.  I  have  seen  him,  but  I  can 
not  tell  you  his  name.  The  funny  little  man  has  come  down 
from  the  garden,  and  is  sitting  outside.  He  seems  verv  much 
interested  in  what  is  going  on  in  the  shop." 

Then  followed  a  few  more  details  that  I  do  not  remember. 
I  then  asked : 

"  Can  you  describe  the  situation  of  the  town  in  which  the 
shop  is  ?  " 

"  The  town  is  a  seaport,  standing  on  a  large  bay.  The  coast 
seems  nearly  to  join  at  the  mouth  of  the  harbor.  On  the  land 
side  it  is  backed  by  mountains  covered  nearly  to  the  summits 
with  the  most  luxuriant  vegetation." 

Then  came  a  pause,  and  she  continued  :  "  I  am  on  board 
ship.  The  man  I  recognized  is  here  too.  Oh,  such  a  dreadful 
storm  ;  the  ship  is  rolling  about  most  fearfully.  I  cannot  go 
on.  I  must  go  and  lie  down.  I  feel  so  ill." 

My  wife  exhibited  all  the  symptoms  of  sea-sickness,  and  as 
I  feared  a  full  realization  of  the  malady  might  follow,  I  woke 
her  up,  thinking  we  had  obtained  sufficient  information  for  what 
we  wanted. 


CRYSTAL    VISION'S.  1OJ 

The  member  of  the  society  who  had  brought  the  crystal 
took  it  back  next  day  to  the  owner,  who  was  the  man  with  the 
gray  hair  and  mustache,  and  gave  him  the  information  we  had 
obtained  the  evening  before.  He  told  our  friend  the  name  of 
the  town  ;  and,  although  he  would  not  own  up  to  the  truth  of 
the  story,  it  was  easy  to  see  that  the  information  we  had  ob- 
tained was  true  in  everv  detail.  People  of  his  sort  are  very 
unsatisfactory  to  deal  with. 

The  curious  sequel  that  I  alluded  to  lies  in  the  fact  that  my 
wife  and  myself  were  one  day,  some  months  afterwards,  going 
through  one  of  the  big  museums  in  London.  I  was  looking  at  a 
case  of  curiosities,  and  my  wife  was  some  little  way  from  me, 
when  I  heard  her  exclaim  : 

"  I  have  been  here.  I  know  the  place  quite  well.  That  is 
where  the  little  man  was  sitting,  and  there  is  the  little  Mack 
and  gold  house." 

"What  nonsense  are  you  talking?"  I  said.  "That  is  im- 
possible." 

But  then  I  remembered  the  experiment  with  the  crvstal,  and 
upon  going  up  to  see  what  my  wife  was  looking  at,  I  found  it 
was  a  model  of  the  garden  in  the  town  where  our  gray-haired 
friend  had  owned  to  having  obtained  the  crystal. 

Enough,  perhaps,  has  now  been  said  to  suggest  to  the  reader 
that  this  crystal  vision,  which  has  long  been  regarded  as  a 
mere  superstition,  mav  in  reality  be  used  with  profit  as  an  em- 
pirical method  of  educing  from  the  subliminal  self  a  number  of 
pictures  —  very  unequal,  indeed,  in  value — but  of  which  some, 
at  least,  appear  to  imply  a  telepathic  or  clairvoyant  extension  of 
ordinary  knowledge. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


HAGNETS  AND  OD. 

MINERAL  AND   PERSONAL   MAGNETISM     AS    METHODS  OF  CURE. 

"  Nature  hears  but  one  kind  of  questions  —  they  are 
experiments.     Her  answers  are  phenomena.'' 

The  Greeks  in  olden  time  called  the  magnet  stone  Mdyi/ijs  iwo?, 
in  short  Miy^?.  Correctly  translated  Moy^s  is  the  magic  fluid 
stone.  The  word  Miy^?  consists  of  two  Phoenician  words 
"U'j'D  (mag-naz.)  The  first  one  is  recognized  over  the  whole 
Orient  as  referring  to  a  pontifex,  a  priest,  a  magus,  a  man  who 
possesses  great  powers  and  knowledge  ;  and  from  that  descends 
the  Greek  and  Latin  words  Miyos,  magus,  a  magician,  and  M«V«?. 
magnus  (great). 

The  second  word  ~Q  (naz)  is  a  root  word,  which  in  He- 
brew and  Arabic  expresses  all  that  is  fluid,  flowing,  waving. 
From  this  comes  the  Greek  NOO«,  genius,  knowledge,  soul.  The 
word  magnetism  expresses,  therefore,  the  magic  power  of  the 
soul.  But  when  Mesmer  gave  this  name  to  the  phenomena 
which  he  produced  with  his  patients,  he  did  not  know  anything 
of  the  old  Greek  theory  upon  this  subject.  The  phenomena 
that  Mesmer  produced  had  a  strange  likeness  to  the  magnetic 
phenomena  and  this  led  him  to  choose  this  explanation ;  and  he 
did  not  think  of  the  deeper  meaning,  which  makes  this  word  so 
appropriate  for  ^os,  sleep. 

The  power  of  the  lodestone  to  attract  iron  was  known  even 
in  the  olden  time.  On  this  account  the  people  called  it  the 
"living  stone."  Its  powers  were  not  considered  as  limited  to 

iron  ;  but  people  ascribed  to  it  a  great  influence  on  the    human 

108 


MAGNETS    AND    OD. 


109 


body.  One  of  the  old  Rabbis  relates  that  the  vapor  from  this 
stone  placed  on  glowing  coals,  and  inhaled,  renders  anybody 
unconscious;  and  he  claimed  that  it  was  in  high  favor  with 
thieves  and  robbers  on  account  of  its  intoxicating  qualities.  It 
was  credited,  also,  with  great  influence  upon  the  feelings  and 
sentiments,  as  it  could  create  esteem  and  courage,  and  was  of 
utility  in  maintaining  friendship  with  absent  friends.  It  was 
therefore  manufactured  into  amulets  which  were  considered  very 


IJL'NCII  OK  MAGNET  RODS,  FOR  PASSES  OVER  THE  BODY 
— AFTER  MESMER'S  MODEL. 

precious.  The  old  magicians  and  scholars  attributed  to  it  an- 
other power  —  the  one  of  exalting  the  imagination  and  sum- 
moning fantastic  vision  —  especially  when  the  amulet  was  orna- 
mented with  a  figure  of  symbolic  character.  But  for  one  cer- 
tain power  the  lodestone  was  held  in  the  highest  esteem  ;  it  was 
believed  that,  under  certain  conditions,  it  would  create  love;  and 
for  this  special  qualification  it  was  utilized  as  a  necessary  addi- 


I  IO  MAGNETS    AND    OL>. 

tion  in  love  potions.  At  the  same  time  the  lover  could  carry  a 
magnet-amulet  on  which  was  engraved  a  picture  of  Venus. 
This  would  make  him  altogether  irresistible.  But  the  stone 
was  not  excellent  alone  as  a  means  of  creating  love;  for  by  its 
aid,  unfaithfulness  in  love  could  be  discovered.  The  French 
poet,  Marbodacus,  living  before  the  twelfth  century,  made  the 
magnet  the  subject  of  one  of  his  most  brilliant  poems.  He  ex- 
presses himself  in  this  way:  "If  you  wish  to  be  certain  of 
your  wife's  faithfulness,  place  the  magnet-stone  at  her  head 
while  she  is  sleeping.  She  will  then,  if  faithful  to  you,  kindly 
open  her  arms  to  embrace  you  ;  but  if  not,  she  will  commence 
to  tremble  as  in  great  anguish  and  forced  by  the  might  of  the 
stone,  she  reveals  the  err  ings  secretly  committed" 

The  natural  magnefs  -well  knorcn  quality  to  draw  iron 
toward  itself  and  retain  it  was  known  as  we  see  in  the  olden 
time;  and  even  then  it  was  the  object  of  earnest  but  fruitless 
admiration.  The  name  originates  from  magnet  first  being  found 
near  the  city  of  Magnetia  in  Asia  Minor.  The  first  use  that 
was  made  of  the  magnet's  power  was  its  emplovment  in  glass 
melting  works;  but  aside  from  this  limited  use  the  ancients  for 
a  long  time  simply  admired  and  wondered  at  the  power  of  the 
magnet,  without  thinking  of  its  further  practical  employment. 
After  having  discovered  that  a  piece  of  steel  after  having  been 
in  connection  with  a  natural  magnet  became  itself  magnetic 
and  had  the  quality,  when  hung  up  in  the  room,  of  always  occu- 
pying a  certain  position — that  of  north  and  south — it  was  then 
decided  to  employ  the  magnet  on  sea  and  overland  journeys  to 
ascertain  the  quarters  of  the  globe.  It  was  not  alone  the  above 
mentioned  powers  of  the  magnet^  that  in  olden  time  was  the 
reason  for  it  being  considered  a  valuable  object;  but  its  influ- 
encc  on  the  human  body  also  macle  it  a  valuable  i*e m edV_iri__Lhfr- 
medical  science.  We  often  find  in  old  works  the  magnet  men- 
tioned  as  a  remedy;  and  it_h_asas  such  stood  in  especial  favor 
among  tTuTpeople  of  India,  EgyptTArabiaTT  ales' tine  afuTChinaT 


MAGNETS    AND    OD.  Ill 


A  number  of  diseases  were  cured  through  its  power,  and  it  was  . 
especially  valued  as  a  styptic  and  a  quieter~ot  tne  nerves^  T~he 
firsFol  these  qualities  were  ascribed  to  the  magnet's  mineral  con- 
nections, while  the  other  was  attributed  to  the  special  proper- 
ties contained  in  the  magnet.  It  was  only  in  the  last  century 
when  electricity  was  approved  of  as  a  remedy  in  the  medical 
science,  and  when  the  relationship  was  established  between  the 
electric  and  magnetic  powers,  that  attention  was  again  drawn 
toward  the  magnet;  and  scientists  again  began  to  study  its 
direct  effect  on  the  human  body.  The  old  authors'  accounts 
\vere  again  brought  to  the  surface  and  consulted,  and  it  was 
found  that  passes  or  only  a  continual  contact  with  the  magnet 
was  used  with  successful  results  in  different  diseases  —  especially 
neuralgia,  rheumatism  and  headache.  In  the  following 


the  Italian  Petrus  Borelli_Xi6^6')  writes:  "Treatment  by  mag- 
netism secures  bothmen  and  women  from  a  number  of  diseases  x 
that  medicine  is  unable  to  cure."  The  celebrated  Paracelsus 
used  the  same  method  to  accomplish  wonderful  cures  which  he 
performed  all  over  Europe.  Magnets  used  for  passes  have  the 
usual  form  of  a  horse  shoe,  and  are  as  a  rule  constructed  of 
three  different  plates  and  are  evened  up  near  the  poles,  or  they 
are  formed  of  rods,  single  or  in  bundles.  The  smoother  each 
single  surface  of  the  plate  is  ground  and  fitted,  the  better 
the  magnet  will  keep  and  the  more  powerful  is  the  effect. 

Glocenius,  Burgrave,  Ilelinotius,  Robert  Fludd,  Kircher  and 
Maxwell  believed  that  in  the  magnet  they  could  recognize  the 
properties  of  that  universal  principle  by  which  minds  addicted 
to  generalization  thought  that  all  natural  phenomena  might  be 
explained.  John  loptest  Van  Helmont  was  an  eminent  physi- 
cian who  lived  between  1577  and  1644.  lie  discovered  the 
laudanum  of  Paracelsus,  the  spirit  of  hartshorn  and  the  volatile 
salts,  and  to  him  we  owe  all  the  first  knowledge  of  the  elastic 
aeriform  fluids,  to  which  he  gave  the  name  of  gas,  which  they 
still  retain.  Van  Helmont's  explanation  of  magnetism  is  as 


112  MAGNETS    AND    OD. 

follows  :  "  Magnetism  is  that  occult  influence  which  bodies  exert 
over  each  other  in  presence  of  each  other  and  also  at  a  distance, 
whether  by  attraction  or  repulsion."  The  medium  he  desig- 
nates, "Magnab  Magnum." 

We  know  that  it  is  healthy  to  live  in  an  atmosphere  filled 
with  the  restorative  emanations  given  out  by  bodies  young  and 
full  of  vigor.  We  see  in  the  third  book  of  Kings  that  David 
lay  with  comely  damsels  to  warm  him  and  to  give  him  a 
little  strength.  According  to  Galen  and  others,  Greek  doctors 
had  long  recognized  in  the  treatment  of  sundry  consumptions, 
the  advantage  of  making  the  patients  take  nourishment  from 
the  breast  of  young,  healthy  nurses;  and  experience  had  taught 
them  that  "  the  effect  is  not  the  same  when  the  milk  is  given 
after  being  caught  in  a  vessel."  Cappivaccius  saved  the  heir 
of  a  great  house  in  Italy  fallen  into  marasmus,  by  making  him 
lie  betwixt  two  vigorous  ycung  girls.  Forestus  tells  how  a 
young  Pole  was  cured  of  marasmus  by  spending  the  days  and 
nights  with  a  nurse  of  twenty  years;  and  the  effect  of  the 
remedy  was  as  prompt  as  it  was  successful.  Finally,  to  bring 
this  subject  to  an  end,  Boerhaave  used  to  tell  his  disciples  of 
having  seen  a  German  prince  cured  by  this  means,  employed  in 
the  same  way  which  had  succeeded  so  well  for  Cappivaccius. 
There  is  not  a  housewife  but  knows  that  it  is  not  good  for  a 
child  to  sleep  with  an  aged  person,  though  the  latter  enjoy 
perfect  health. 

Remember  what  Shakespeare  says: 
Crabbed  age  and  youth 

Cannot  live  together: — 
Youth  is  full  of  pleasance, 

Age  is  full  of  care; 
Youth  like  summer  morn, 

Age  like  winter  weather; 
Youth  like  summer  brave, 

Age  like  winter  bare. 
In  other  times  there  existed  in  the  mountains  of  Auvero-ne  a 

o 

custom  that  may  well  be  mentioned.     When  any  traveler  arrived 


MAGNETS    AND    OD.  Iig 

at  a  hostelry,  feeble,  sickly  or  benumbed  by  cold,  they  asked  him 
if  he  wished  a  warmed  or  brasiered  bed ;  naturally  his  answer 
would  be :  "I  want  a  good  warm  bed."  When  about  to  get 
into  the  bed  he  would  be  much  surprised  to  see  a  chubby, 
hearty,  well-complexioned  fellow  leave  it,  enveloped  from  head 
to  foot  in  a  clean  linen  shirt.  The  next  morning  our  man 
would  be  sure  to  inquire  if  it  was  the  custom  to  give  one  a  bed 
in  which  another  had  slept.  "  Sir,  you  asked  that  your  bed 
should  be  warm,  and  we  warmed  it  for  you.  If  you  had  wished 
it  brasiered  we  would  have  heated  it  with  a  brasier." 

"What  difference  is  there  between  these  two  methods?" 
"O,  sir,  much  difference,  the  bed  warmed  by  a  young,  strong, 
healthy  person  is  far  more  restorative  and  strengthening." 

Let  us  remember  what  Hippocrates  says  :  "  Certain  wise 
physicians  even  among  the  ancients  were  aware  how  beneficial 
lto  the  blood '  it  is  to  make  slight  frictions  with  the  hands  over 
the  body.  It  is  believed  by  many  experienced  doctors  that  the 
heat,  which  oozes  out  of  the  hand,  on  being  applied  to  the  sick, 
is  highly  salutary  and  soothing.  The  remedy  has  been  found 
to  be  applicable  to  sudden  as  well  as  to  habitual  pains,  and 
various  species  of  debility,  being  both  renovating  and  strength- 
ening in  its  effects.  It  has  often  appeared,  while  I  have  thus 
been  soothing  my  patients,  as  if  there  were  a  singular  property 
in  my  hands  to  pull  and  draw  away  from  the  affected  parts 
aches  and  divers  impurities,  by  laying  my  hand  upon  the  place, 
and  by  extending  my  fingers  toward  it.  Thus  it  is  known  to 
some  of  the  learned  that  health  may  be  imparted  to  the  sick  by 
certain  gestures,  and  by  contact,  as  some  diseases  may  be  com- 
municated from  one  to  another." 

"When  we  observe,"  says  Huf eland,  " the  effect  produced 
by  placing  newly-  killed  animals  on  paralyzed  members,  and  live 
animals  on  parts  of  the  body  that  are  suffering  pain,  it  does 
seem  that  this  therapeutic  method  ought  not  to  be  spurned." 


114  MAGNETS    AND    OD. 

For  advancing  this  method  of  healing,  Anton  Mesmer 
and  Dr.  Gessman,  both  of  Vienna,  deserve  mention.  Mesmer 
discovered  the  so-called  animal  magnetism,  but  before  he  pub- 
licly brought  forward  the  theory  concerned,  he,  with  the  assist- 
ance of  artificial  magnetism,  gave  treatment  according  to  a  pecul- 


EGYPTIAX    CABALISTIC    MAGIC    MIRROR. 

iar  system.  Later  on  Doctors  De  Noble,  La  Fontaine,  Nuzer, 
La  Cour,  Bolten,  Du  Jardin,  Hensius,  Hemman,  De 
Harsee,  D'Aymier,  and  de"  la  Condamine  used  Mesmer's  meth- 
ods and  established  the  benefits  of  magnetic  treatment.  The 


MAGNETS    AND    OD.  lie 

public  announcements  by  De  Noble  caused  the  Royal  Society  of 
Medical  Science,  in  France,  to  direct  D'Audry  and  Maudnyt  to 
commence  investigations  and  studies  regarding  treatment  by 
artificial  magnetism.  The  two  gentlemen  mentioned  returned  a 
verdict  greatly  in  favor  of  the  magnetic  power  as  a  method  of 
cure.  For  the  last  fifteen  years  this  method  of  treatment  has 
been  the  cause  of  great  sensation  and  advancement  in  Europe, 
especially  in  France,  Germany,  Italy,  Austria,  and  the  Scandi- 
navian countries  and  it  is  applied  by  many  prominent  physi- 
cians. 
..•* 

\  Another  interesting  methodof  treating  diseases,  whirh  {K 
often  applied  in  the  Orient,  is  the  jise_of  the  so-caljed  "  Egyp- 
tian Magic  "Mirror."  This  mirror  is  a  well-polished  steel  plate, 
with  an  engraving  of  two  circles  and  two  triangles  in  which 
there  are  inscriptions  of  cabalistic  words.  With  the  elbow 
resting  in  the  lap,  the  patient  takes  hold  of  the  mirror  with  the 
left  hand,  constantly  gazing  at  the  center  of  the  triangle..  After 
a  lapse  of  a  few  minutes  the  healer  performs  manipulations 
from  the  head  of  the  patient  down  to  his  feet,  his  hands  espe- 
cially resting  at  the  afflicted  part  of  the  body.  It  is  particu- 
larly interesting  to  notice  that  patients  who  secure  this  method 
of  treatment,  will  often  during  this  obtain  a  special  power  of  clair- 
voyance, so  that  they  become  able  to  penetrate  the  mystery  and 
obscurity  of  the  future  and  predict  concerning  its  happiness 
and  occurrences.  At  the  same  time  they  can  describe  what  goes 
on  at  places  distant  and  completely  unknown  to  the  patient.  In 
this  last  case  mediumistic  persons  will  especially  succeed.  The 
patient  will  not  go  to  sleep,  but  will  remain  fully  awake  (lijrii^ 
the  entire  treatment,  and  the  phenomena  spoken  of  has  ajjirect 
relation  to  hypnotism,  which  assists  in  the  development  of  his 
ability  aided  ny  tne  manipulations  and  the  constant  gazing  at 
the  magic  mirror. 

"  But  the  Spirit  \-  ijiven  to  every  man  to  profit  withal.  *  *  *  To  another 
the  gifts  of  healing." — /.    Cor.  12:  9. 


n6 


MAGNETS    AND    OL». 


THE    ART    OF    MANIPULATIONS    AND    PASSES     BY    THE    HANDS 

ON    THE    DISEASED    PART    OF    THE    BODY,    AND 

THE    CURE    OF    DISEASES. 

I  have  applied  the  hand  with  great  success,  in  hundreds  of 
cases,  and  in  that  manner  have  cured  patients  of  their  disease 
when  all  other  methods  had  been  employed  without  deriving  any 
benefit — especially  in  all  nervous  diseases.  It  is  absolutely 


MODERN    MANIPULATIONS. 

necessary  for  the  magnetist  to  have  warm  and  perfectly  dry 
hands.  If  the  hands  are  damp,  and  not  warm,  he  will  not  be 
able  to  affect  the  diseased  parts.  Treatment  will  not  alone  be 
very  unpleasant  for  the  patient,  but  it  will  be  without  any  heal- 
ing, quieting  results.  For  the  magnetist  to  be  able  to  remove 
pain,  and  affect  the  nerve  system  and  circulation  of  the  blood 
in  a  beneficial  way,  the  hands  should,  as  above  mentioned,  be 
dry  and  fairly  warm.  The  operator  also  should  be  mentally 
clear  and  self-poised.  It  is  also  required  of  the  magnetist  to  be 
tranquil  and  determined  in  appearance  and  proceedings,  concen- 


MAGNETS    AND    OD.  1 17 

trating  his  whole  mind  and  will-power  on  what  he  undertakes, 
and  consequently  he  should  be  fully  possessed  of  the  one  thought 
—  that  of  helping  the  patient  during  the  treatment.  It  is  of 
course  required  of  him  to  have  studied  and  acquainted  himself 
with  the  method  of  healing.  This  method  of  cure  is  very  old, 
and  was  often  used  in  the  Eastern  countries.  Scripture  men- 
tions on  several  occasions  treatment  by  passes.  Valentine 
Greatrakes,  an  aristocratic  Irish  officer,  and  Gassner,  formerly  a 
monk,  have  made  themselves  quite  prominent  in  Europe  by 
similar  cures,  as  has  also  Dr.  Phil.  Baron  von  Reichenbach. 

Baron  Reichenbach,  the  eminent  German  scientist  and  phy- 
sician, by  a  vast  series  of  experiments,  proved  the  existence  of  a 
fine  spiritual  emanation  from  all  objects,  especially  from  human 
beings,  and  he  called  it  "  Odic  Force"  Has  it  not  occurred  to 
physicians  that  it  would  be  well  for  them  to  look  into  these 
subtle  forces,  and  see  if  some  better  understanding  of  the  incul- 
catory  system  cannot  be  arrived  at,  in  order  that  they  may 
achieve  more  success?  The  "  mechanism  of  the  circulation," 
says  Dr.  Buchanan,  "is  sufficiently  understood,  but  our  mechan- 
ical knowledge  of  the  circulations,  derived  from  Harvey  and  his 
successors,  does  not  give  us  the  law  of  the  distribution  of  the 
blood.  The  knowledge  of  the  channels  and  hydraulic  appa- 
ratus, without  that  of  the  forces  which  preside  over  the  circula- 
tion and  distribution  of  the  blood,  is  comparatively  a  meagre 
specimen  of  the  knowledge." 

If  that  be  triie  which  Shakespeare  has  affirmed: 
"  One  touch  of  nature  makes  the  ivhole  world  kin"— 

the  influence  of  the  human  hand  must  be  universally  acknowl- 
edged. 

It  has  a  language  of  its  own,  it  can  appeal  from  man  to  man, 
it  can  bless,  and  it  can  cure.  The  most  ancient  belief  connects 
it  with  authority  and  power.  The  holding  up  of  Moses'  hands 
gave  victory  to  the  Israelites.  "  And  it  came  to  pass,  when 
Moses  held  up  his  hand,  that  Israel  prevailed,  and  when  he  let 


n8 


MAGNETS    AND    OD 


down  his  hands  Amalck  prevailed."  Gifts  of  healing,  not  less 
than  of  power,  belong  to  the  hand  by  prescriptive  right.  If  the 
potency  of  the  royal  touch  in  curing  the  king's  evil  be  but  a 
superstition,  let  us  remember  that  it  took  its  origin  from  a  holy 
source.  Christ  and  his  disciples  laid  their  hands  upon  the  sick, 
and  they  were  healed.  The  miracles  of  our  Lord  were  remark- 
ably accompanied  by  actions  of  the  hands,  as  if  they  were  in 
some  manner  connected  with  that  external  means.  In  restoring 
sight  and  hearing,  he  touched  the  eyes  and  e;irs  of  the  afflicted 


ORIENTAL    MANIPULATION AFTER    THE    BATH. 

persons.  Even  the  imparting  of  the  gift  of  the  holy  spirit  fol- 
lowed the  imposition  of  hands ;  and  this  external  sign  of  a 
spiritual  agency  is  still  retained  in  the  church.  Who  that  has 
undergone  or  witnessed  the  beautiful  rite  of  confirmation,  but 
has  felt  its  power.  The  eye  and  the  hand,  then,  appear  to  be  fitting 
instruments  for  transmitting  potential  and  remedial  agencies. 
If  we  seek  for  such  a  general  instance  of  the  influence  of  one 
human  being  on  another  as  may  seem  like  that  mutual  loss  and 


MAGNETS    AND    CD.  lip 

gain  and  interchange  of  vital  force,  which  is  the  principal  won- 
der in  mesmerism,  we  have  only  to  look  at  the  effects  produced 
when  young  people  sleep  with  old.  Since  the  days  of  King 
David  it  has  been  known  that  the  latter  are  strengthened  at  the 
expense  of  the  former.  Some  painful  instances  of  this  have 
fallen  under  my  own  observation.  Rev.  Chauncy  Hare  Town- 
shend,  A.M.,  relates  a  case  in  \vhich  the  future  well  being  of  a 
person  very  dear  to  him  was  compromised.  I  was  acquainted 
with  an  infirm  old  lady,  who  was  so  aware  of  the  benefit  that 
she  derived  from  sleeping  with  young  people,  that,  with  a  sort 
of  horrid  vampirism,  she  always  obliged  her  maids  to  share  her 
bed,  thus  successively  destroying  the  health  of  several  attend- 
ants. Even  among  animals  it  has  been  found  that  the  young 
cannot  be  too  closely  associated  with  the  old  without  suffering 
detriment.  Young  horses  standing  in  a  stable  with  old  ones 
become  less  healthy. 

The  celebrated  German  physiologist,  Huf eland,  has  remarked 
the  longevity  of  school  masters,  and  he  attributes  it  to  their  liv- 
ing so  constantly  amidst  the  healthy  emanations  of  young  persons. 

I  have  in  the  last  fourteen  years  performed  a  great  number 
of  cures  by  this  method,  and  generally  the  patient  had  been 
given  up  by  physicians.  Several  of  the  most  prominent  scien- 
tific periodicals  in  Europe  have  in  most  flattering  terms  reported 
a  number  of  my  successful  treatments,  some  of  which  were  per- 
formed in  connection  with  prominent  physicians. 

I  desire  to  remark,  in  passing,  that  my  observation,  as  well 
as  my  experience,  would  indicate  that  this  treatment  is  especially 
successful  in  nervous  and  muscular  ailments;  for  in  these  depart- 
ments of  pathology,  I  have  attained,  anil  have  known  of  others 
attaining,  the  most  remarkable  results. 

MENTAL  ELECTRICITY,  ALSO  CALLED    NERVE    ETHER    OR    LIFE 
ELECTRO-DYNAMISM. 

We  proceed  simply  from  the  fact  that  a  certain  force  or  vi- 
tality is  contained  in  the  nervous  system,  which  is  usually  called 


120 


MAGNETS    AND    OD. 


vital  force  or  nerve-power.  If  this  force  or  power  is  present  in 
sufficient  quantity,  the  individual  may  be  considered  healthy ; 
but  when  this  force  is  disturbed,  by  either  external  or  internal 
influences,  the  individual  becomes  sick.  We  may  reasonably 
presume  that  all,  or  at  least  nearly  all,  diseases  are  due  to  im- 
paired nerve  function.  A  cure,  therefore,  is  secured  when  a 
proper  equilibrium  in  the  nervous  system  has  been  regained. 
This  may  be  accomplished  by  the  skillful  application  of  the  so- 
called  magnetism.  As  an  example  it  has  been  demonstrated 


JAPANESE    MAGNETIC    HEALER. 

that  this  treatment  has  cured  pathological  swellings,  due  to  con- 
gestion ;  these  conditions  are  invariably  caused  by  a  lack  of 
nerve  energy.  Strange  to  say  the  vital  force  of  the  magnetizer 
is  transmitted  to  the  patient.  By  this  treatment  many  unfortu- 
nate sufferers  have  been  cured  of  paralysis  in  its  various  forms, 
and  have  thus  been  enabled  to  walk,  after  years  of  complete  help- 
lessness. New  vigor  has  been  infused  into  those  who  have  be- 
come debilitated  and  prostrated  from  long  continued  disease.  It 
will  almost  invariably  alleviate  the  most  intense  physical  suffer- 


MAGNETS    AND    OD.  121 

ing —  when  even  the  deadly  morphine  has  failed.  Unfortu- 
nately all  patients  cannot  be  cured  through  the  influence  of 
magnetism ;  some  are  not  susceptible  to  its  benign  influence. 
Only  from  five  to  ten  per  cent.,  however,  may  be  placed  in  this 
unfortunate  class.  In  order  to  test  an  individual's  susceptibility 
successive  strokes  or  passes  are  made  over  his  arm.  If  the  sub- 
ject, after  a  few  of  these  passes,  experiences  heat,  cold  or  ting- 
ling in  the  arm,  he  may  be  considered  susceptible.  As  regards 
the  effect  of  magnetic  treatment,  whether  the  subject  or  patient 
is  a  believer  or  not  in  the  efficacy  of  the  treatment,  all  that  is 
required  of  him  is  that  he  endeavor  to  place  himself  in  a  quiet 
and  peaceful  state  of  mind  during  the  treatment;  for  therebv  a 
transmission  of  the  invisible,  but  still  well  known,  vital  force 
from  the  healthy  individual  to  the  sick  takes  places.  To  dem- 
onstrate the  reality  of  magnetism,  a  simple  experiment  will 
suffice.  The  successful  magnetizer  places  his  hands  over  t\vo 
glasses  filled  with  water.  In  the  space  of  five  minutes  a  decided 
difference  in  the  taste  of  the  water  contained  in  the  glass  over 
which  the  left  hand  has  been  held  from  that  over  which  the 
right  hand  has  been  held,  will  be  distinctly  observed  by  anyone 
of  fair  sensitiveness.  Strangely  enough,  the  water  through  which 
the  magnetic  current  has  passed  from  the  left  hand  will  be  luke- 
wa-m  and  have  a  disagreeable  taste  ;  whereas  that  acted  upon 
by  the  right  hand  will  be  fresh  and  sparkling.  This  difference 
is  due  to  the  fact  that  the  right  and  left  hands  are  opposite  mag- 
netic poles  —  the  one  positive,  the  other  negative.  The  mag- 
netic life-force  which  in  this  manner  is  transferred  to  the  water 
can  also  be  transferred  to  the  bodv  of  another  individual. 

Fortunately  this  can  occur  through  clothing,  glass ;  yes, 
even  walls,  as  it  also  mav  be  transmitted  at  a  distance  of  a  yard. 
It  travels  through  media  with  a  velocity  greater  than  that  of 
heat,  and  second  only  to  electricitv.  This  matter,  or  fluid,  is 
even  visible  to  the  naked  eye.  This,  which  certainly  must  be 
regarded  as  the  strangest  and  most  occult  phenomenon,  may  be 


122  MAGNETS    AND    OD. 

demonstrated  in  the  following  manner  :  An  individual,  together 
with  the  magnetizer,  are  enclosed  in  a  completely  darkened 
room  where  absolutely  nothing  is  discernible.  They  remain 
there  about  two  hours,  and  if  the  magnetizer  now  gently  rubs 
the  patient's  finger  tips  a  dim  light  will  be  seen  surrounding  the 
magnetizer's  fingers.  The  magnetism  in  the  human  body  is  at 
certain  parts  or  points  positive,  at  others  negative ;  thus  the 
palma  (inner)  surface  and  the  dorsal  (outer)  surface  of  the 
hands  are  opposite.  Similarly  the  two  sides  of  each  of  the  fin- 
gers. This  must  be  borne  in  mind  when  giving  magnetic 
treatment,  as  the  positive  parts  of  the  magnetizer's  hand  and 


THE    GOOD    SAMARITAN,    POURING    WINE    AND    OIL    OX    THE 
WOUNDS WITH    MANIPULATIONS. 

fingers  must  be  brought  in  contact  with  negative  parts  of 
patient,  and  vice  versa.  The  human  race  will  from  now  on  be 
placed  in  a  more  favorable  position,  inasmuch  as  it  is  now  in 
possession  of  this  great  and  comparatively  new  method  of  cure, 
which,  in  spite  of  its  grand  and  almost  unlimited  possibilities,  is 
still  so  simple  that  one  may  with  ease  practice  it  on  others.  It 
is  my  earnest  conviction  that  all  are  not  able  or  constituted  to 
practice  this  curative  method  upon  others.  Many  are  in  the 
possession  of  the  power  to  magnetize  without  being  sufficiently 
experienced  in  the  practice  thereof ;  and  the  patients,  therefore, 


MAGNETS    AND    OD.  123 

frequently  do  not  receive  any  benefit.  That  which  is  absolutely 
requisite  to  be  a  successful  mag-netizer  is  to  be  in  the  possession 
of  a  healthy  body  and  spiritual  power,  combined  with  a  pure 
and  active  desire  to  do  good.  The  action  of  magnetism  is  in 
many  cases  almost  miraculous.  It  is  applicable  to  nearly  all 
diseases  to  which  flesh  is  heir;  but  especially  to  those  which 
originate  in  the  nervous  system,  and  not  associated  with  great 
organic  lesions.  Its  beneficial  action  is  manifested  by  a  marked 
increase  of  physical  vigor.  The  despondent  and  the  melancholy 


DR.    ALBERT    REIBMAYR's    METHOD — VIENNA. 

regain  the  hopefulness  and  cheerfulness  of  youth  ;  thus  restor- 
ing a  perfect  equilibrium  in  both  mind  and  body.  The  force- 
acts  upon  all  organized  beings,  but  especially  upon  man.  The 
action  resembles  the  magnetism  of  the  metals,  in  that  it  has  both 
repelling  and  attractive  properties;  and  it  manifests  itself  in 
different  manners  upon  the  various  bodies  upon  which  it  is 
caused  to  act.  Nervous  prostration  (neurasthenia)  appears  in 
many  forms,  but  principally  three.  The  first  is  characterized 


12-j.  MAGNETS    AND    OD. 

by  a  lack  of  appreciation  of  the  ordinary  irritations  of  the  sen- 
sory nerve  filaments  (anaesthesia);  second,  by  a  lack  of  reflex 
nerve  action  ;  and  the  third  by  an  abnormally  increased  sensi- 
tiveness (hyperasthesia) — -in  which  case  an  ordinary  irritation  of 
the  peripheral  nerves  brings  about  a  decidedly  strong  impression. 

The  time  best  adapted  for  treating  patients,  according  to 
this  method,  is  in  the  forenoon — as  the  patient  is  not  only 
at  this  time  most  susceptible  to  the  influence,  but  the  magnetizer 
is  at  this  time  of  the  day  in  possession  of  his  best  strength 
and  bodily  energy — or  evening,  when  everything  is  qniet  and 
invites  to  rest,  is  also  a  good  time  for  magnetic  treatment ;  in 
short,  the  time  when  the  patient  is  in  a  peaceful  and  passive 
state  of  mind  is  favorable.  It  is  but  justifiable  to  consider 
magnetism  as  the  first  and  most  active  remedy  for  the  cure  of 
disease  in  general. 

Nothing  like  this  inspires  us,  or  is  in  such  a  direct  harmony 
with  the  soul  of  mankind.  Magnificent,  wonderful,  nay,  even 
miraculous,  indeed,  are  the  possibilities  of  this  great  remedy, 
blessing  and  boon  to  mankind.  One  thing  must  not  be  disre- 
garded, namely,  that  it  must  be  applied  by  a  competent  and  ex- 
perienced expert.  Let  us  say  with  Wordsworth  : 

"To  every  form  of  being  is  assigned 
An  acting  principle,  however  removed 
From  sense  and  observations  it  subsist? 
In  all  things,  in  aH  natures,  in  the  stars 
Of  azure  heaven,  the  unending  clouds, 
In  flower  and  tree,  in  every  pebly  stone 
That  paves  the  brooks,  the  stationary  rocks, 
The  moving  waters  and  the  invisible  air." 


CHAPTER  IX. 


HYPNOTISM  AND  ANIMALS. 

A     QUEER      METHOD      BY      WHICH     TO     MAGNETIZE      SERPENTS, 

EMPLOYED        WITH      GREAT       SUCCESS       BY        THE 

MOJOWEE     AXD      APACHE      INDIANS. 

The  Indians  have  many  interesting  secrets  by  which  they 
tame  animals.  When  the  serpents  become  too  audacious  for 
the  Indians  and  they  wish  to  scare  them  away  from  their  camps, 
they  employ  the  following  method  :  They  dig  a  pit  in  the 
ground  about  four  yards  deep  and  twenty  yards  in  circumfer- 
ence with  steep,  smooth  walls.  The  Indian  men,  women  and 
children  now  mount  their  horses.  At  a  given  signal  everv  one 
takes  his  position  in  a  circle  with  the  pit  as  a  center.  With  wild 
yells  they  start  a  strange  war  dance.  Thev  gallop  around  on 
their  horses,  continually  diminishing  the  circle,  while  they  use 
branches  to  beat  the  dry  grass  and  leaves  in  order  to  scare  the 
serpents  from  their  hiding  places.  As  they  approach  the  pit 
the  circle  grows  smaller,  and  the  serpents  are  all,  one  by  one, 
hurried  down  in  the  grave.  In  this  way,  the  Indians  can  in  a 
very  short  time  rid  themselves  of  these  disastrous  tormentors. 

When  the  Indians  deem  it  time,  they  descend  from  their 
horses,  and  place  a  step-ladder  in  a  corner  of  the  pit.  Four 
Indians  approach  the  grave,  armed  not  with  weapons,  but  with 
their  instruments.  First  an  Indian  descends  carrying  in  his 
hand  a  big  piece  of  bark  manufactured  in  the  shape  of  a  fan. 
He  is  followed  by  the  second,  who  gives  some  lamentinglv 


126  HYPNOTISM     AND    ANIMALS. 

strange  tune  on  his  own  naturally  shaped  flute.  The  third 
Indian  plays  on  his  one-stringed  instrument  the  same  moan- 
ing, melancholy  melody.  The  fourth  hammers  with  great 
activity  on  a  home-made  drum.  The  first  Indian  with  the  fan 
uses  that  as  a  music -director,  his  tact-stick  giving  the  time  of 
the  music.  When  they  reach  the  bottom  of  the  pit,  the  fright- 
ened serpents  rush  away,  while  the  Indians  march  around  in 
the  grave,  continually  diminishing  the  circle.  The  serpents 
creep  steadily  together;  and  at  every  movement  of  the  fan  they 
hide  themselves  among  each  other  in  a  charmed  way.  When 
it  is  impossible  for  the  serpents  to  creep  closer  together  and 
they  are  gathered  in  a  heap  in  the  center,  the  Indian  carrying 
the  fan  stops  and  catches  up  one  of  the  poisonous  serpents  and 
holds  it  up.  It  does  not  harm  him  at  all,  for  it  is  completely 
charmed.  He  now  places  one  serpent  after  another  around  his 
body.  They  listen  with  interest  to  the  peculiar  music  and  seem 
to  be  very  anxious  about  the  fan ;  as  he  only  needs  to  move  it 
when  he  wishes  the  serpent  to  change  position,  and  at  the  same 
time  fix  it  sharply  with  his  eyes,  the  serpent  moves  or  keeps  his 
place  quietly  according  to  his  wishes.  These  Indians  are  pe- 
culiar individuals.  At  an  accident  which  occurred  on  the  Atlantic 
&  Pacific  R.  R.  several  of  this  tribe  were  fatally  hurt.  An  old 
Indian  had  a  leg  amputated.  He  did  not  wish  to  be  put  in  an 
unconscious  state  and  directed  that  his  wife  should  sit  in  front  of 
him  and  stare  at  him  continually.  As  soon  as  the  operation  was 
commenced  she  began  wildly  to  lament,  crying  bitterly,  the 
tears  flowing  incessantly  down  her  cheeks,  while  the  physician 
calmlv  proceeded  with  the  operation.  The  Indian  in  question 
laid  very  quietly  and  calmly,  and  seemed  to  enjoy  her  suf- 
fering with  great  delight,  as  if  he  had  nothing  to  do  with  it  at 
all.  Upon  inquiry  he  declared,  after  the  operation  was  success- 
fully finished,  that  he  did  not  notice  the  slightest  degree  of 
pain — his  wife  had  apparently  taken  it  all. 


HYPNOTISM    AND    ANIMALS.  1 2~j 

HYPNOTIZED     SNAKES RATTLERS     AND     COPPERHEADS    MAG- 
NETIZED     OR      FASCINATED       BY        MUSIC A       TEXAS 

SNAKE  CHARMER HE   DOESN'T    LIKE    WORK 

AND    PREFERS    TO    PLAY    WITH 
RATTLESNAKES.* 

There  is  in  this  country  a  young  man  who,  as  a  snake 
charmer,  has  perhaps  no  equal  on  the  habitable  globe,  writes  a 
Gainesville  (Tex.)  correspondent  of  the  Globe- Democrat.  His 
name  is  Frank  Kerr,  about  thirty-two  years  of  age,  who, 
aside  from  his  marvelous  power  over  reptiles,  is  distinguished 
chiefly  by  his  aversion  to  any  kind  of  work.  His  wonderful 
power  over  the  most  venomous  reptiles — a  power  which  it  is 
his  delight  to  use  constantly — has  long  been  the  wonder  of 
everyone  hereabouts.  It  is  his  custom  to  walk  proudly  up  the 
streets  with  the  heads  of  three  or  four  snakes  hanging  out  of 
his  pockets,  and  his  neck  decorated  with  a  big  rattler  or  cop- 
perhead. It  is  related,  and  well  verified,  that  sleep  to  him  is 
almost  an  impossibility  if  he  has  not  several  snakes  in  his  bed ; 
and  it  is  seldom,  indeed,  that  he  misses  much  sleep.  He  de- 
lights to  fondle  a  big  rattler  before  a  crowd  of  wonder-stricken 
spectators,  compelling  it  to  put  its  head  in  his  mouth,  and 
"capping  the  climax,"  by  making  it  protrude  its  forked  tongue 
to  meet  his  own.  This  feat  is  about  his  only  source  of  revenue. 

Last  March  he  went  to  Ardmore,  a  small  town  in  the  In- 
dian Territory,  a  few  miles  north  of  here,  hoping  to  make 
some  money  by  giving  public  exhibitions  of  his  snake  feats. 
He  left  here  with  two  snakes,  a  copperhead  and  a  rattlesnake, 
but  the  rattler  died  en  route.  Not  wishing  to  perform  with 
one  snake,  he  took  his  flute,  the  work  of  his  own  handicraft, 
and  started  for  the  woods  in  quest  of  the  reptiles.  To  the  tune 
of  his  own  weird  music,  like  Jack  the  Piper,  he  marched  along. 

*I  have,  as  the  contents  of  this  hook  show,  taken  into  consideration  what  belongs  to 
hypnotism  and  fascination.  I  therefore  present  this  chapter  which,  I  think,  will  interest 
the  reader. 


126 


HYPNOTISM    AND    ANIMALS. 


He  returned  to  town  in  about  three  hours  with  thirteen  snakes 
of  different  species  crawling-  after  him.  Selecting  a  few  from 
among  them,  he  exhibited  his  feats  to  wondering  and  liberal 
crowds. 


CHARMING    WISELY FRANK    KERR    AXD    HIS    SNAKES. 

This  story  has  been  told   so   often    and    abundantly    verified 
lhat  no  one  now  questions  it.     He  has  a  preference  for  the  cop- 


HYPNOTISM    AND    ANIMALS.  129 

perheacl,  but,  as  he  expresses  it,  he  "  loves  them  all,"  and  fre- 
quently caresses  a  little  harmless  green  snake  as  tenderly  as  he 
does  the  big  rattlers.  He  says  he  loses  a  great  many,  and  ban- 
ishes some  when  their  affection  for  r\im  seems  to  grow  cold. 

Animals  have  been  frequently  fascinated  for  purposes  of 
experiment,  and  a  universal  rigidity  of  the  muscles  produced 
to  such  an  extent  as  to  cause  them  to  resemble  pieces  of  statu- 
ary, so  that  the  animal  could  be  taken  up  and  its  whole  weight 
supported  by  one  foot,  and  this  state  produced  and  continued 
at  pleasure  (John  B.  Newman).  Mr.  Bruce,  the  great  African 
traveler,  distinctly  states,  from  minute  personal  observation, 
that  all  the  blacks  of  the  kingdom  of  Sennaar,  whether  Funze 

O  ' 

or  Nuba,  are  perfectly  armed  by  nature  against  the  bite  of 
either  scorpion  or  viper.  They  take  the  horned  serpents  in 
their  hands  at  all  times,  put  them  into  their  bosoms,  and  throw 
them  at  one  another,  as  children  do  apples  or  balls ;  during 
which  sport  the  serpents  are  seldom  irritated  to  bite,  and  when 
they  do  bite,  no  mischief  ensues  from  the  wound.  The  influ- 
ence exerted  upon  them  is  so  great  that  they  are  scarcely  ever 
able  to  attempt  any  resistance  even  when  eaten  up  alive,  as 
Bruce  assures  us  he  has  seen  them,  from  tail  to  head,  like  a 
carrot.  He  also  positively  affirms  that  they  constantly  sicken 
the  moment  they  are  laid  hold  of,  and  are  sometimes  so  ex- 
hausted by  this  invisible  power  or  fascination,  as  to  perish  as 
effectually,  though  not  as  quickly  as  if  struck  by  lightning. 
"  I  constantly  observed,"  says  he,  "  that,  however  lively  the 
viper  was  before,  upon  being  seized  by  any  of  the  barbarians, 
he  seemed  as  if  taken  bv  sickness  and  feebleness,  frequently 
shut  his  eyes,  and  never  turned  his  mouth  toward  the  arm  of 
the  person  that  held  him.'' 

This  power  is  often  used  bv  man  to  disarm  the  fury  of  the 
most  enraged  quadrupeds.  This  is  peculiarly  seen  at  times  in 
the  case  of  watch-dogs,  over  whom  house-breakers  have  found 
out  the  secret  of  exercising  so  seductive  and  quieting  a  power  as 


130  HYPNOTISM    AND    ANIMALS. 

to  keep  them  in  a  profound  silence  while  the  burglary  is  com- 
mitted. Lindecrantz  of  Sweden  tells  us  that  the  natives  of 
Lapland  and  Dalarne  are  in  possession  of  this  secret  generally, 
insomuch  that  they  can  instantly  disarm  the  most  ferocious 
dog,  and  oblige  him  to  fly  from  them,  with  all  his  usual 
signs  of  fear,  such  as  dropping  the  tail  and  becoming  suddenly 
silent. 

Grooms  are  sometimes  found  possessed  of  a  similar  power 
over  horses.  Mr.  Townsend  gives  a  striking  anecdote  to  this 
effect  in  his  account  of  James  Sullivan.  The  man — an  awk- 
ward, ignorant  rustic  of  the  lowest  class — was  by  profession  a 
horse-breaker,  and  generally  nick-named  the  "whisperer,"  from 
its  being  vulgarly  supposed  that  he  obtained  his  influence  over 
unruly  horses  by  whispering  to  them.  The  actual  secret  of  his 
fascinating  power,  it  is  very  likely,  was  unknown  to  himself  for 
it  died  with  him,  his  son,  who  was  in  the  same  occupation, 
knowing  nothing  of  it.  It  was  well  known  to  everyone,  that 
however  unbroken  or  vicious  a  horse  or  even  a  mule  might  be 
when  brought  to  him,  in  the  short  space  of  half  an  hour  he 
became  altogether  passive  under  his  influence,  and  was  not  only 
entirely  gentle  and  tractable,  but  in  a  very  considerable  degree 
continued  so,  though  somewhat  more  submissive  to  himself  than 
to  others.  There  was  a  little  mystery  in  his  plan,  but  unques- 
tionably no  deceit.  When  sent  for  to  tame  an  unruly  horse,  he 
ordered  the  stable  door  to  be  shut  upon  himself  and  the  animal 
alone,  and  not  to  be  opened  until  a  given  signal.  This  singular 
intercourse  usually  lasted  for  about  half  an  hour ;  no  bustle  was 
heard,  or  violence  seemingly  had  recourse  to,  but  when  the 
door  was  opened,  on  the  proper  sign  being  given,  the  horse  was 
always  seen  lying  down,  and  the  fascinator  by  his  side,  playing 
with  him  familiarlv  as  a  child  with  a  puppy.  Mr.  Townsend 
once  saw  his  skill  tried  on  a  horse  that  could  never  be  brought 
to  stand  for  a  smith  to  shoe  him.  The  day  after  Sullivan's  half 
hour  lecture,  he  went,  not  without  some  incredulity,  to  the 


HYPNOTISM    AXD    ANIMALS. 


132  HYPNOTISM    AND    ANIMALS. 

smith's  shop  with  many  other  curious  spectators,  who  were  eye 
witnesses  of  the  complete  success  of  his  art.  This,  too,  had 
been  a  troop  horse,  and  it  was  supposed,  not  without  reason, 
that  after  regimental  discipline  had  failed,  no  other  would  be 
found  availing.  He  observed  the  animal  seemed  afraid  when- 
ever Sullivan  either  spoke  to,  or  looked  at  him.  In  common 
cases,  the  mysterious  preparation  of  a  private  interview  was  not 
necessary,  the  animal  becoming  tame  at  once. 

FASCINATED     BY    SNAKES. 

I  remember  —  says  John  B.  Newman,  M.  D., —  reading, 
some  time  since,  of  a  man  walking  out  in  his  garden  who  acci- 
dentally saw  a  snake  in  the  bushes,  and,  observing  the  eyes  gleam 
in  a  peculiar  manner,  watched  it  closely,  but  soon  found  himself 
unable  to  draw  his  own  eyes  off.  The  snake,  it  appeared  to  him, 
soon  began  to  increase  immensely  in  size,  and  assume  in  rapid 
succession  a  mixture  of  brilliant  colors.  He  grew  dizzy,  and 
would  have  fallen  in  the  direction  of  the  snake,  to  which  he 
felt  himself  irresistibly  impelled,  had  not  his  wife  come  up,  and 
throwing  her  arms  around  him  dispelled  the  charm,  thus  saving 
him  from  certain  destruction.  There  are  too  many  of  these 
stories  to  mention  a  tithe  of  them  ;  so  I  will  conclude  with  but 
a  few  more  that  are  very  generally  known.  Two  men  in  Mary- 
land were  walking  together,  when  one  found  fault  with  his 
companion  because  he  stopped  to  look  at  something  by  the  road- 
side. Perceiving  he  did  not  heed  him,  he  returned  to  draw 
him  along,  when  he  perceived  the  other's  eyes  were  fixed  upon 
a  rattlesnake,  which  had  its  head  raised  and  eyes  glaring  at 
him.  The  poor  fellow  was  leaning  towards  the  snake,  and  cry- 
ing piteouslv  in  a  feeble  tone,  "  He  will  bite  me !  he  will  bite 
me!"  "Sure  enough  he  will,"  said  his  friend,  "if  you  do  not 
run  off.  What  are  you  staying  here  for?"  Finding  him  dumb 
to  all  entreaties,  he  struck  down  the  snake  with  a  limb  of  a  tree, 
and  pulled  his  companion  violently  away.  The  man  whose  life 


HYPNOTISM    AND    ANIMALS. 


134  HYPNOTISM    AND    ANIMALS. 

was  thus  providentially  saved,  found  himself  very  sick  for  some 
hours  after  his  enchantment. 

Professor  Silliman  mentions,  that  in  June,  1823,  he  crossed 
the  Hudson  at  Catskill  in  company  with  a  friend,  and  was  pro- 
ceeding in  a  carriage  on  the  road  along  the  river.  The  road 
was  very  narrow,  with  the  water  on  one  side,  and  a  steep  bank 
covered  bv  bushes  on  the  other.  His  attention  at  that  place 
was  arrested  by  observing  the  number  of  small  birds,  of  differ- 
ent species,  riving  across  the  road  and  then  back  again,  and 
turning  and  wheeling  in  manifold  gyrations  and  with  much 
chirping,  yet  making  no  progress  from  the  particular  place  over 
which  they  fluttered.  His  own  and  his  friend's  curiosity  was 
much  excited,  but  was  soon  satisfied  by  observing  a  blacksnake, 
of  considerable  size,  parti v  coiled  and  partly  erect  from  the 
ground,  with  the  appearance  of  great  animation,  his  eyes  brilliant 
and  his  tongue  rapidly  and  incessantly  brandishing.  This  rep- 
tile they  perceived  to  be  the  cause  and  center  of  the  wild  mo- 
tions of  the  birds.  The  excitement,  however,  ceased  as  soon  as 
the  snake,  alarmed  at  the  approach  of  the  carriage,  retired  into 
the  bushes.  The  birds  did  not  escape,  but  alighting  upon  the 
neighboring  branches,  probably  awaited  the  reappearance  of 
their  cruel  tormentor  and  enemy. 

I  have  read  of  a  man  residing  in  Pennsylvania  who,  return- 
ing from  a  ride  in  warm  weather,  espied  a  blackbird,  and  a  large 
blacksnake  viewing  the  bird.  The  latter  was  describing  circles, 
gradually  growing  smaller  around  the  snake,  and  uttering  cries 
of  distress.  The  bird  had  almost  reached  the  jaws  of  its  ene- 
my, when  the  man  with  his  whip  drove  off  the  snake,  and  the 
bird  changed  his  note  to  one  of  joy. 

A  gentleman  himself  told  me  that  while  traveling  one  day, 
by  the  side  of  a  creek,  he  saw  a  ground-squirrel  running  to  and 
fro  between  the  creek  and  a  great  tree  a  few  yards  distant. 
The  squirrel's  hair  looked  very  rough,  which  showed  he  was 
much  frightened;  and  his  returns  being  shorter  and  shorter, 


HYPNOTISM    AND    ANIMALS.  135 

my  friend  stopped  to  observe  the  cause,  and  soon  discovered  the 
head  and  neck  of  a  rattlesnake  pointing  directly  at  the  squirrel 
through  a  hole  in  the  great  tree,  which  was  hollow.  The 


HKAXILIAN    TUKTJLli    C1IAKMER. 

squirrel  at  length  gave  over  running,  and  laid  himself  quictlv 
down  with  his  head  close  to  the  snake's.  The  snake  then 
opened  his  mouth  wide  and  took  in  the  squirrel's  head,  when  a 


136  HYPNOTISM     AND    ANIMALS. 

cut  of  the  whip  across  his  neck  caused  him  to  draw  in  his  head, 
which  action,  of  course,  released  the  squirrel,  which  quickly  ran 
into  the  creek. 

Turtles  may  very  easily  be  charmed  by  the  use  of  slow,  mo- 
notonous music. — There  are  in  Brazil  several  well-known  turtle 
charmers,  who  make  it  a  specialty  by  the  use  of  their  art  to 
catch  all  the  turtles  they  want.  The  charmer  uses  his  instru- 
ment, often  at  the  same  time  imitating  with  his  voice  various 
animal  calls,  and  the  result  comes  in  about  fifteen  to  twenty 
minutes.  If  any  turtles  are  in  the  vicinity  thev  will  come  first 
one,  two,  then  a  whole  herd,  grouping'  themselves  around  the 
charmer,  listening  to  his  music  with  great  attention.  The 
charmer  has  assistants  to  throw  4he  nets  over  the  turtles.  The 
nets  are  fastened  to  the  ground  by  heavy  weights  and  the  turtles 
are  caught.  Nearly  all  animals  may  be  brought  under  influ- 
ence, but  the  proceedings  are  different. 

The  experiment  of  Father  Kircher,  in  1646,  with  the  hen 
which  lay  motionless  on  the  ground  when  a  long  chalk-line  was 
drawn  from  her  bill,  has  often  been  repeated.  To  the  same 
class  of  phenomena  belong  all  kinds  of  charming  by  the  eyes 
or  fascination— as  when  the  snake  charmer  by  his  eye  tames 
serpents,  or  when  snakes  paralyze  frogs  and  other  small  ani- 
mals. The  art  of  Rarey,  the  famous  horse-tamer,  appears  to 
have  consisted  principally  in  hypnotic  manipulations.  Hypno- 
tism and  fascination  play  a  very  great  role  in  taming  wild  ani- 
mals, much  more  important  than  people  generally  believe ;  es- 
pecially when  they  are  used  with  the  proper  manipulations. 
How  many  true  cases  are  reported  in  "  Descriptions  of  Trav- 
els" when  a  man  in  utmost  danger  of  death,  with  destroyed  or 
poor  weapons,  has  had  only  his  will-force  and  the  power  of  his 
eyes  to  thank  for  saving  a  life  that  seemed  lost. 


CHAPTER  X. 


HYPNOTIC  MISCELLANIES. 

BY     GKORGK     I.UTKEX,     M.     I). 

As  near  as  I  remember,  it  was  in  October  of  last  year,  that  I 
took  the  liberty  of  producing  for  the  Illustrated  Family  Jozirnal, 
an  article  on  the  wonders  of  hypnotic  phenomena  which  of  late 
years  has  been  the  subject  of  investigation,  especially  by  French 
physicians,  and  an  interest  in  which  has  begun  to  reach  up  to  us. 
I  wrote  several  articles  about  the  conclusions  to  which  the  for- 
eign investigators  had  come;  but  I  could  only  treat  the  subject 
with  the  reservation  that  a  contributor  should  take  before  he  has 
seen  such  phenomena  himself.  I  did  not  try  to  hide  that  which 
I  considered  rather  doubtful  in  my  articles  as  to  these  altogether 
unexplainable  phenomena.  During  the  nine  or  ten  months  that 
have  passed  since  I  wrote  the  above  mentioned  articles,  I  have 
with  industry  studied  a  great  deal  of  the  important  literature 
that  treats  on  this  subject.  I  have  also  had  an  opportunity  to 
investigate  these  phenomena  closer,  both  on  the  sick  and  healthy. 
/  have  seen  several  extraordinary  and  'wonderfully  successful 
results  of  hypnotic  cures  of  sick  people,  ivhcrc  the  disease  icas 
caused  by  a  nervous  debilitation,  or  other  ncrvozis  -weakness.  To 
an  interested  public  I  am  convinced  that  a  description  of  the 
hypnotic  phenomena,  such  as  I  with  my  own  eyes  have 
seen,  will  be  of  great  interest,  and  will  also  interest  the 
Journals  enormous  circle  of  readers,  and  by  that  means  a  large 
audience  can  become  closer  acquainted  with  the  subject.  It  will 
be  well,  however,  to  caution  those  interested  not  to  give  them- 
selves up  to  the  first  hypnotist  who  comes  along.  Hypnotism 
misused  is  quite  a  dangerous  thing  for  the  community. 

'37 


138  HYPNOTIC    MISCELLANIES. 

We  should  endeavor  to  investigate  hypnotism  at  a  nearer 
distance,  and  also  take  every  precaution  not  to  be  humbugged 
by  the  hypnotist  or  hypnotizer,  but  also  with  our  own  eyes ; 
because  we  must  remember  that  we  cannot  easily  deceive  our- 
selves. With  regard  to  my  own  investigations,  which  I  will 
relate,  will  say  that  the  experiments  have  been  performed  at  my 
own  home,  and  I  have  each  time  taken  care  that  beside  my 
family,  there  has  been  one  or  more  gentlemen  present  whom  I 
could  depend  upon,  so  that  at  all  times  I  have  had  trustworthy 
witnesses.  There  have  been  present  at  these  experiments,  col- 
leasfues,  lawyers  and  men  in  other  avocations,  who  of  course 

o  '  J  ' 

were  interested  in  the  subject,  but  who  regarded  it  with  the 
greatest  coolness,  and  without  having  preconceived  ideas  about  it. 
The  hypnotist,  'who  'with  the  utmost  courtesy  and  complete 
disinterestedness,  caused  the  different  conditions  I  wished,  is 
Mr.  Carl  Sextus,  a  young  Dane,  who  has  resided  in  eastern 
countries,  where  he  acquired  his  peculiar  knowledge,  and  made 
hypnotism  a  profession.  He  has  in  different  countries  of  north- 
ern Europe  and  America,  and  also  in  this  country,  given  a 
number  of  seances.  He  has  for  the  past  year  or  so  resided  here 
in  Copenhagen.  I  have  been  acquainted  with  Mr.  Sextus  for 
about  six  months,  and  I  was  greatly  pleased  to  find  in  him  a 
professional  hypnotist,  who  has  nothing  of  the  charlatan  about 
him.  He  has  at  every  opportunity  shown  the  liveliest  interest 
that  the  medical  profession  in  this  country  should  also  take  hold 
of  the  yet  obscure  hypnotic  question.  I  am  thankful  to  him 
for  the  never  failing  readiness  with  which  he  has  placed  him- 
self at  my  disposal.  It  has  often  pained  me,  that  because 
of  the  obscure  nature  of  the  subject,  I  have  been  obliged 
to  show  suspicion,  which  often  wounded  him,  but  this  was 
necessary,  if  I  obtained  a  clear  insight  in  the  matter,  and  be  able 
to  describe  what  I  had  heard  and  seen  in  such  a  manner  that 
doubters  may  be  convinced.  For  the  physician,  the  object  of 
such  investigation  \vill  undoubtedly  be  to  find  in  hypnotism  a 


HYPNOTIC    MISCELLANIES.  139 

remedy  for  that  vast  number  of  diseases  originating  from  an 
abnormal  brain  and  nerve  activity,  and  against  which  the  weap- 
ons we  procure  from  the  arsenal  of  the  apothecary  are  without 
effect.  As  the  doctor,  before  he  applies  a  new  remedy  on  a 
patient,  first  tries  it  on  a  healthy  person  ;  therefore  the  hvpnotic 
phenomenon  should  be  tried  on  a  healthy  person  before  produc- 
ing it  on  a  patient. 

I  believe  that  I  have  already  mentioned  that  I  would  not 
treat  of  hypnotic  cures  in  this  article.  What  I  am  going  to 
relate  is  the  unvarnished  statement  about  experiments  per- 
formed under  the  strictest  conditions  in  my  own  home  upon 
ladies  and  gentlemen  who  had  already  shown  themselves  to  be 
particularly  susceptible  to  hypnotic  influence,  and  who  were  in 
possession  of  good  health.  All  of  these  individuals  assured 
me  that  they  had  no  unpleasant  feelings  whatever,  either  during 
or  after  being  hypnotized.  As  they  have  alwavs,  with  the 
greatest  pleasure  and  readiness,  been  at  my  service  for  these  ex- 
periments, I  owe  them  my  most  sincere  thanks.  The  suscepti- 
bility is  developed  considerably  by  repeated  attempts,  for  that 
reason,  if  to  investigate  the  phenomenon,  it  is  better  to  select 
individuals  who  have  been  hypnotized  before.  At  public 
seances  there  are  always  a  number  of  young  people  who  desire 
to  try  the  experiment,  and  among  these  vou  will  alwavs  find 
some  who  are  particularlv  susceptible.  I  had  the  opportuni'v 
to  witness  several  exhibitions  given  by  Mr.  Sextus,  before  sev- 
eral private  societies,  and  I  observed  that  it  was  quite  easv  to 
select  good  subjects,  who,  as  I  have  already  observed,  have  with 
pleasure  placed  themselves  at  my  di-posal.  1  thought  it  neces- 
sary to  make  the  above  remarks,  but  will  now  go  on  and  give 
the  account  of  the  original  attempts,  and  will  go  into  particu- 
lars and  explanations  in  regard  to  the  nature  of  the  hypnotic 
conditions. 

The  first  attempts  at  my  house  were  with  subjects  of  post- 
hypnotic  experiment.  It  is  understood  that  the  hvpnotist. 


140  HYPNOTIC    MISCELLANIES. 

while  the  subject  is  still  under  influence,  commands  him  at  a 
certain  time  after  he  is*  awakened  to  perform  some  certain  act. 
At  a  small  party  on  the  second  day  of  March  this  year,  in  a 
private  family  in  Copenhagen,  at  which  Mr.  Sextus  was  pres- 
ent, he  was  asked  to  perform  some  hypnotic  experiments.  On 
this  occasion  a  gentleman  who  had  been  hypnotized  several 
times  previously  was  sent  for.  After  he  had  been  put  to  sleep 
the  suggestion  was  made,  that  on  the  next  Saturday,  March  5th 
at  8  o'clock  p.  m.,  he  was  to  leave  his  home  on  X0rrebro  Gade 
and  go  to  my  residence  on  Store  Kongens  Gade ;  after  having 
asked  for  me  and  spoken  to  me,  he  was  to  perform  a  number 
of  insignificant  actions  in  an  exact  order  as  stated,  after  which 
he  was  to  fall  into  a  deep  sleep,  from  which  only  Mr.  Sextus  could 
awaken  him.  As  this  gentleman,  in  a  previous  similar  experi- 
ment, had  caused  quite  a  sensation  on  the  street  by  his  unsteadv 
walk  and  peculiar  appearance,  it  was  also  suggested  to  him  that 
he  walk  perfectlv  erect  and  straight  on  the  sidewalk ;  take  good 
care  not  to  push  against  any  of  the  passers  by,  and  to  have  a 
perfectly  normal  appearance. 

I  was  informed  by  Mr.  Sextus  the  next  day  of  the  experi- 
ment, and  according  to  agreement,  Mr.  Sextus  and  a  small 
number  of  others,  and  among  them  a  physician,  arrived  at  my 
house  the  Saturday  evening  mentioned,  at  7  :  30  p.  m.  To 
avoid  any  unnecessary  sensations  and  interference  with  the  sub- 
ject and  the  experiment,  I  had  given  the  servants  orders  to 
leave  the  doors  unlocked,  and  to  allow  the  man  to  pass  in  un- 
disturbed when  he  came,  which  would  be  between  S  and  8  :  30 
o'clock.  I  learned  later  that  the  subject  was  an  iron  moulder, 
whose  name  was  L.  N.,  twenty-three  years  old,  married,  had 
two  children,  and  was  a  sober  and  industrious  man.  He 
had  been  hypnotized  five  or  six  times  before  b\-  Mr.  Sextus. 
He  had  never  been  at  my  house  before. 

At  8  :  25  the  door  bell  rang;  my  son  opened  the  door,  and 
without  hesitation  the  young  man  stepped  into  my  private  of- 


HYPNOTIC    MISCELLANIES.  14! 

fice,  which  had  been  vacated  by  all,  with  the  exception  of  my 
colleague  and  myself.  The  others  remained  in  an  adjoining 
room,  from  which,  through  an  open  door,  they  could  observe 
everything  that  was  going  on.  Mr.  Sextus  had  stepped  into  a 
side  room  so  that  he  would  not  be  seen  by  L.  X.  The  hypno- 
tized man,  who  held  himself  rather  stiff,  and  spoke  with  a  cer- 
tain dull  accent,  repeated  exactly  what  had  been  told  him,  and 
performed  the  different  acts  in  exact  order.  He  stared  at  me 
without  any  expression  in  his  eyes,  and  after  he  had  accom- 
plished what  had  been  told  him  to  do,  he  fell  into  a  deep  and 
unconscious  sleep,  from  which  he  could  not  be  awakened  by 
any  of  us,  by  either  speaking  to  him  or  touching  him.  Mr. 
Sextus  placed  the  index  finger  and  the  middle  ringer  of  his 
right  hand  in  front  of  the  subject's  wide  open  eyes,  who  fol- 
lowed the  hypnotist  into  the  next  room.  There  were  now  sev- 
eral experiments  performed,  to  convince  us  that  the  subject  was 
completely  insensible  to  any  pain.  /  placed  under  his  right 
arm  a  mark  an  inch  long  with  a  red  hot  knitting  needle,  with- 
oiit  any  motion  or  sign  that  he  felt  it,  I  put  a  strong  needle 
through  his  hand,  so  that  it  projected  a  quarter  of  an  inch  on 
the  other  side,  during  which  {he  being  commanded}  sat  with  a 
happy  and  smiling  expression  on  his  face. 

In  the  same  manner  as  before  the  hypnotist  brought  the  sub- 
ject back  to  my  office,  where  he  was  seated  in  an  easv  chair. 
By  investigation  it  was  found  that  the  pupils  of  his  eyes — not- 
withstanding the  strong  light — were  considerably  dilated,  but 
by  bringing  a  lighted  candle  close  to  the  eyes,  the  pupils  slightly 
contracted.  A  trial  with  a  -very  strong  electric  battery  pro-ced 
that  he  was  only  slightly  susceptible  to  electric  influence;  the 
handles  even  fell  from  his  grasp,  while  the  effect  upon  us  was 
so  strong  that  we  could  not  let  go  when  we  held  them, 

Mr.  Sextus  now  awoke  the  sleeper  by  a  sharp  shout.  lie 
opened  his  eyes  and  gazed  about  with  a  dazed  look,  evidently 
surprised  at  finding  himself  in  a  strange  house,  surrounded  by 


142  HYPNOTIC    MISCELLANIES. 

a  party  of  almost  entire  strangers.  I  then  asked  him  several 
questions  which  he  answered  quickly  and  satisfactorily.  He 
declared  that  he  felt  splendid,  and  apparently  had  not  the 
slightest  idea  of  having  undergone  any  painful  operation. 

I  shall  not  go  into  fuller  description  of  those  more  or  less 
ordinary  experiments  concerning  suggestions,  which  were  all 
successful,  but  only  give  a  few  which  astonished  me  greatly  at 
the  time.  I  have  had  the  opportunity  to  witness  since,  experi- 
ments which  were  even  much  more  astonishing. 

Mr.  Sextus,  at  a  previous  time,  had  assured  me  that  he,  by 
merely  making  a  pass  with  his  hand,  could  transfer  his  power 
of  controlling  a  person  to  another,  who  was  altogether  unac- 
quainted with  the  art.  I  remembered  this  and  expressed  a  wish 
to  be  put  en  rapport  with  L.  N.,  during  his  sleep.  This  was 
immediately  clone,  and  he,  when  he  was  asleep  before  had  not 
paid  the  slightest  attention  to  what  I  had  said  or  done,  now  fol- 
lowed me  in  the  same  way  he  had  Mr.  Sextus,  following  my 
commands,  even  to  repeating  with  extraordinary  exactness  a 
number  of  Greek  sentences  of  Odysian,  which  I  said  one  bv  one. 
At  the  same  time,  after  Mr.  Sextus'  instructions,  I  tapped  him 
lightly  on  the  crown  of  his  head  with  my  two  fingers.  I  was 
instructed  to  remove  the  tapping  from  that  part  of  his  head,  and 
was  informed  that  the  hypnotized  would  no  longer  obey  me, 
but  as  soon  as  I  tapped  him  as  before,  the  influence  returned. 
I  saw  Mr.  Sextus  scrape  along  the  floor  with  his  foot  in  front 
of  the  subject,  and  from  that  instant  my  influence  over  him 
was  gone. 

While  L.  X.  was  in  one  of  the  rooms  having  some  supper, 
and  I  was  present  with  him  alone,  I  heard  a  single  clap  of  hands 
from  one  of  the  rooms,  and  at  the  same  instant  the  subject  fell 
asleep  again.  The  hypnotist,  at  a  distance,  had  in  this  manner 
put  him  to  sleep.  The  reader  will  later  on  get  still  more 
astonishing  proof  of  this  power,  exercised  at  a  distance  and  per- 
fectly noiseless.  If  we  had  not  seen  it  ourselves,  and  taken 


HYPNOTIC    MISCELLANIES.  143 

care  to  exclude  all  chance  of  being  cheated,  I  will  honestly 
admit  that  I  would  have  concluded  the  whole  of  it  was  a  humbug. 

I  \vill  not  dwell  any  longer  in  explaining  the  experiments 
with  L.  N.,  only  to  add  that  my  porter  told  me  that  the  subject 
came  to  the  house  at  the  above  mentioned  time,  without  the 
porter  noticing  anything  peculiar  about  him.  He  first  turned 
to  the  right,  where  there  is  a  separate  door  to  one  of  the  apart- 
ments, where  he  stood  a  moment  shaking  the  door  knob.  He 
then  observed  the  door-plate,  discovered  his  mistake,  and  then 
went  to  the  proper  door. 

I  will  call  attention  to  post-hypnotic  experiments,  by  which 
the  subject,  after  a  shorter  or  longer  period,  is  compelled  to  per- 
form acts  that  may  be  entirely  against  his  nature.  A  French 
physician,  Professor  Beaunis,  has  lately  given  an  account  of  an 
order  that  was  exactly  executed  a  full  year  after  the  suggestion 
had  been  given.  In  this  manner  a  rascal  could  influence  another 
person  to  commit  a  crime,  while  it  would  be  very  difficult  to 
discover  the  originator.  The  poor  instrument  on  coming  out  of 
the  hypnotic  sleep,  would  not  have  the  slightest  idea  of  what 
he  had  done.  On  the  other  hand  we  learned  through  our  experi- 
ments that  hypnotized  individuals  are  utterly  insensible  to  pain. 
Physicians  can  perhaps  have  in  that  condition  a  splendid  nar- 
cotic for  operations,  where  for  some  reason  they  cannot  use 
chloroform,  ether,  etc. 

In  the  first  part  of  June  I  had  the  opportunity  to  see  a  young 
lady  perform  a  post- hypnotic  experiment,  which  was  rather 
complicated.  She  was  told  to  leave  her  home  in  a  carriage,  be 
driven  to  a  certain  place  down  town,  where  she  had  never  been 
before,  there  to  select  a  particular  person  out  a  room  of  which 
there  was  a  number,  and  where  a  good  many  people  passed  in 
and  out,  say  some  exact  words  to  that  person,  and  then  fall 
asleep  and  to  remain  in  that  condition  until  Mr.  Sextus,  who 
was  to  come  later,  awakened  her.  On  this  occasion  there  was 
several  experiments  similar  to  those  related  by  the  French 


HYPNOTIC    MISCELLANIES. 


physician,  which,  being  successful,  I  had  a  great  desire  to  try 
them  at  my  own  house  with  the  same  subject,  where  I  could 
investigate  them  more  closely.  The  subject,  Miss  H.,  was,  I 
judge,  about  twenty-two  years  old,  employed  as  a  cashier  in  a 
down-town  store.  She  had  previously  been  hypnotized  by  Mr. 
Sextus  four  or  five  times.  She  is  small  of  stature,  but  well  de- 
veloped, alight  brunette,  blue-gray  eyes,  and  had  from  her  own 
statement  never  suffered  from  any  serious  illness. 

On  the  1 6th  of  June,  at  8  o'clock,  p.  M.,  Miss  H.  came  will- 
ingly to  my  house  according  to  my  request.  Mr.  Sextus  was 
already  there  in  company  with  a  few  others  who  had  been  in- 
vited. The  young  lady  was  ushered  into  the  parlor,  where 
she  was  soon  engaged  in  conversation  with  those  present. 
Pretending  it  to  be  necessary,  I  went  with  Mr.  Sextus  into  my 
room,  where  we  agreed  that  he  should  place  himself  where  the 
subject  could  not  see  him  and  begin  to  hypnotize  her,  when  I, 
by  a  slight  coughing,  should  give  the  signal.  ]  had  not,  in  or- 
der to  make  the  experiment  more  convincing,  imparted  our  agree- 
ment to  any  of  the  others.  I  was  sure  the  subject  could  not  be 
influenced  by  seeing  or  hearing  the  hypnotist.  During  the 
lively  conversation  that  was  going  on  I  gave  the  signal,  and  as  I 
did  so  the  subject  turned  her  head  toward  the  absent  Mr.  Sextus, 
at  the  same  time  taking  on  an  absent-minded  expression. 
I  asked  her  if  anything  was  the  matter,  to  which  she  replied  in 
a  low  voice  that  nothing  was  the  matter.  Her  eyes  became  set, 
and  a  moment  after,  as  the  hypnotist  made  a  short  motion  in 
the  air  with  his  outstretched  hand,  she  arose  from  the  chair  and 
with  slow,  dragging  steps  went  towards  Mr.  Sextus  in  the  ad- 
joining room.  He  was  closely  watched  by  me  all  the  time,  and 
had  not  moved  from  the  spot,  nor  made  any  noise  whatever. 

The  hypnotist,  by  placing  two  fingers  before  her  eyes,  led 
her  back  to  the  room  from  which  she  had  come  and  placed  her 
in  her  chair.  During  this  sleep  she  received  an  order  to  in 
five  minutes  after  waking,  go  into  the  next  room  to  the  piano, 


HYPNOTIC    MISCELLANIES.  145 

and  from  a  number  of  books  to  select  a  certain  volume,  and,  in 
a  kneeling  position,  hand  it  to  me,  and  in  a  certain  tone  of  voice 
to  repeat  some  exact  words.  The  subject  was  awakened  by  a 
slow  fanning,  when  she  had  not  the  slightest  recollection  of  what 
had  happened,  but  continued  the  conversation.  Exactly  five  min- 
utes after  her  eyes  took  on  a  staring  expression,  she  arose  as  if 
obeying  some  unavoidable  impulse,  and  executed  the  order 
precisely.  She  was  again  awakened  while  still  in  the  kneeling 
position  and  was  evidently  disturbed  and  rather  angry  over  the 
situation. 

Miss  H.  now  partook  of  some  refreshments,  and  while  the 
young  lady  was  in  the  act  of  eating  a  piece  of  cake,  I  gave  Mr. 
Sextus,  who  sat  a  few  yards  behind  her,  a  signal  by  a  slight 
wink.  He  made  a  noiseless  motion  'with  his  hand  and  she 
instantly  turned  her  head  and  J eel  asleep.  During  this  there 
was  several  suggestions  made  to  her.  She  was  walking  in  a 
garden  picking  flowers,  one  by  one,  and  placing  them  together 
in  an  imaginary  bouquet  in  her  left  hand.  It  was  suggested 
that  one  of  them  was  held  very  tight,  she  therefore  pulled  it  out 
with  a  quick  jerk.  She  was  told  to  enjoy  the  odor  of  the 
flowers,  and  with  evident  pleasure  she  smelled  her  bouquet. 
The  hypnotist  sneezed,  and  at  the  same  time  told  her  it  smelled 
very  strong.  She  immediately  sneezed  several  times  in  succes- 
sion until  she  was  stopped  by  a  motion  of  his  hand.  She  was 
told  that  she  was  out  in  a  boat  and  would  be  sea- sick.  No 
sooner  said,  than  the  usual  symptoms  of  a  faint  feeling  and  diz- 
ziness showed  themselves,  and  I  am  positive  that  she  would 
have  become  quite  sea-sick,  if  the  impression  had  not  been 
removed  by  the  hypnotist.  I  will  not  continue  to  relate  the 
different  suggestions  that  were  made  to  her,  but  pass  over  to  a 
new  attempt,  which  was  the  cause  of  several  of  a  similar  nature, 
and  which  greatly  astonished  me. 

The  reader  will  remember  that  the  experiments  began  by 
Miss  II.  being  hypnotized  at  a  distance.  I  wished  to  try  if  it 


146  HYPNOTIC    MISCELLANIES. 

could  also  be  clone  from  behind  a  closed  door.  Unobserved  by 
the  subject,  who  during  her  waking  intervals  was  busily  con- 
versing with  the  others,  /  went  -with  Mr.  Sextus  into  my  room 
and  closed  the  door.  We  compared  our  watches,  and  it  was 
agreed  after  a  certain  number  of  minutes  he  would  attempt  to 
hypnotize  the  young  lady  while  locked  in  my  room.  /  now 
returned  to  the  other  room,  and  at  the  exact  time  agreed  upon, 
in  the  act  of  answering  a  question  of  one  of  the  gentlemen,  the 
stibject  stopped  short.  The  others  were  wholly  unaware  of 
what  was  to  happen.  She  dropped  her  head  as  uszial  in  a  deep 
sleep,  got  up  and  went  towards  the  closed  door,  which  she 
opened  and  then  went  toward  Dr.  Sextus,  who  stood  in  the  cen- 
ter of  the  room  with  his  hand  outstretched  toward  the  door. 
During  this  hypnose  it  was  suggested  to  her  that  the  next 
morning  before  going  down  town  to  work,  she  should  write  a 
letter  to  me,  the  contents  of  which  had  been  dictated  in  the  sug- 
gestion, and  it  was  to  be  signed  "  Gaston."  This  name  was 
pronounced  with  a  certain  dashing  accent.  I  mention  this 
because  the  signature  in  the  letter,  which  reached  me  through 
the  mail  in  due  time,  was  written  with  a  flourishing  swing 
which  undoubtedly  resulted  from  the  suggestion  which  she  had 
received  while  asleep.  If  the  young  lady  should  read  this 
account,  she  will  then  for  the  first  time  be  aware  of  having 
written  me  such  a  letter;  that  is  a  peculiar  part  of  the  hypnot.c 
conditions,  that  the  subject  has  no  recollection  of  having  received 
a  suggestion  or  having  performed  it. 

What  caused  most  wonder  at  this  experiment  was  hypno- 
tizing at  a  distance.  Although  I  had  heard  of  such  experi- 
ments before,  I  always  considered  such  communications  as  con- 
scious or  unconscious  stories,  as  we  would  naturally  consider  it 
as  an  agreed  upon  deception.  Although  I  had  done  all  in  my 
power  to  prevent  any  communication  between  the  hypnotist  and 
the  subject,  and  the  witnesses  present,  in  spite  of  all  their  vigi- 
lance, had  not  been  able  to  discover  that  any  communication 


HYPNOTIC    MISCELLANIES.  147 

had  taken  place  between  the  parties  concerned  by  any  ordinary 
means  of  expression.  However,  I  wished  to  investigate  the 
matter  closer  and  take  still  further  precautions. 

On  the  23rd  of  June,  Shoemaker  Sch.,  according  to  my  re- 
quest, came  to  my  house.  He  was  about  twenty  years  of  age, 
born  in  Sweden,  of  medium  ^height,  pretty  well  built,  brown, 
curly  hair,  light  brown  eyes,  and  a  pale  complexion.  He  de- 
clared never  to  have  suffered  from  any  sickness,  and  had  pre- 
viously been  hypnotized  several  times;  he  thinks  five  or  six 
times  bv  Mr.  Sextus.  Before  he  arrived  Mr.  Sextus  and  a  few 
of  my  particular  friends  had  already  made  their  appearance.  I 
explained  to  Mr.  Sextus  not  to  let  the  subject  know  by  any 
noise  that  he  was  present  and  to  remain  in  a  room  which  was 
some  distance  from  my  office.  When  Shoemaker  Sch.  came,  well 
knowing  that  the  object  of  his  coming  was  to  execute  some  hyp- 
notic experiments,  I  told  him  I  was  afraid  of  some  misunder- 
standing occurring,  as  Mr.  Sextus  had  not  yet  arrived.  How- 
ever, I  asked  him  to  wait  a  while  and  see  if  the  missing  one 
would  not  come.  I  began  a  conversation  with  him  in  my  of- 
fice. Mr.  Sextus  and  my  friends  were  in  the  next  room  ob- 
serving the  strictest  silence.  The  hypnotist  could  hear  the 
signal  agreed  upon  for  beginning  the  experiment,  which  was  a 
light  scratching  with  my  nails  on  the  door,  as  I  stood  with  my 
back  against  it.  The  instant  I  gave  the  signal  the  subject 
drew  a  deep  breath,  fell  back  in  the  chair  with  upturned  eyes 
and  slept.  We  now  made  several  experiments  during  his  sleep 
which  were  only  of  consequence  to  the  medical  profession  and 
which  for  that  reason  I  will  pass.  I  will,  however,  relate  one- 
particular.  His  pulse  was  counted  and  found  to  be  120  beats 
per  minute.  I  made  the  request  that  they  should  go  down  to 
eighty  within  two  minutes.  The  hypnotist  gave  him  the  sug- 
gestion that  his  heart  should  beat  slower  and  easier  until  it 
reached  eighty  beats  to  a  minute.  When  the  two  minutes  had 
elapsed  his  pulse  was  eighty-two,  almost  what  was  desired. 


148  HYPNOTIC    MISCELLANIES. 

This  phenomenon  was  of  extraordinary  importance  from  a 
scientific  standpoint,  as  we  see  that  the  nervous  system's  activity 
during  the  hypnosis  can  be  modified  and  that  the  hypnotist 
acquires  a  certain  power  over  life's  involuntary  operations, 
which,  during  a  normal  condition,  is  impossible.  During  the 
whole  experiment  the  pupils  of  the  eyes  of  the  subject  were 
also  considerably  dilated,  even  if  we  allowed  him  to  look 
straight  at  the  light.  The  moment  he  awakened  they  con- 
tracted to  their  normal  size.  The  subject  now  had  some  lunch 
in  my  dining-room,  while  the  rest,  together  with  Mr.  Sextus,  had 
gone  into  mv  office,  which  is  separated  from  the  dining  room 
by  a  large  sitting  room.  The  dining-room  is  so  situated  that 
the  door  of  my  office  cannot  be  seen  when  sitting  at  the  dining 
table,  while  from  the  sitting  room  you  have  a  view  of  both 
apartments.  In  a  whisper  I  requested  Mr.  Sextus  from  his 
present  position  to  try  his  influence  over  the  subject,  who  was 
in  the  dining-room.  Just  then  Mr.  Sextus  lifted  his  arm; 
the  subject  dropped  his  hand  and  fell  asleep.  I  asked  Mr.  Sex- 
tus to  wake  him  from  the  same  place.  The  subject  immediately 
regained  consciousness,  heaved  a  deep  sigh  and  continued  his 
meal  without  apparently  having  any  knowledge  of  the  inter- 
mediate episode.  He  was  brought  once  more  under  influence 
and  I  desired  to  be  put  en  rapport  with  him,  so  as  to  give  him  a 
suggestion  myself.  I  told  him  his  right  arm  was  sore,  which 
could  be  cured  by  putting  on  a  Spanish  fly;  I  took  a  piece  of 
paper,  covered  with  gum-arabic,  which  I  pasted  on  his  arm, 
telling  him  it  was  a  Spanish  fly,  which  would  draw  a  blister, 
and  on  the  following  evening  at  8 :  30  o'clock,  in  a  perfectly 
normal  condition,  come  to  my  house  to  be  examined.  Mr.  Sex- 
tus told  me  at  the  time  that  he  did  not  think  that  I  had  given 
the  suggestion  with  sufficient  distinctness,  and  that  the  result 
would  not  perhaps  be  satisfactory.  He  said  that  he  had  never 
tried  the  experiment  himself.  I  performed  it  after  a  French 
physician's  account. 


HYPNOTIC    MISCELLANIES.  149 

On  the  24th  of  June  Mr.  Sextus  was  at  my  house,  and 
shortly  before  the  subject  arrived,  I  requested  him  to  remain 
several  rooms  away  from  my  reception  room.  When  the  sub- 
ject had  made  his  appearance,  Mr.  Sextus  should,  accompanied 
by  some  of  the  gentlemen,  go  down  the  kitchen  stairs  to  the 
back  gate,  which  is  about  ninety  feet  from  the  main  building, 
and  one  hundred  and  thirty-Jive  Jeet  from  where  the  subject 
was  to  sit.  One  of  the  gentlemen  was  to  take  up  a  position  by 
a  window  facing  the  yard,  and  by  waving  a  handkerchief,  give 
the  signal  for  Mr.  Sextus  to  commence  operations.  I  will  ad- 
mit that  at  the  time  I  felt  rather  ashamed  of  making  such  an 
attempt,  which  seemed  to  me  sheer  nonsense,  and  at  the  same  time 
an  impossibility.  I  went  in  to  the  subject  who,  during  our  con- 
versation, suddenlv  fell  asleep.  I  went  to  the  gentleman  who 
was  to  give  the  signal  and  told  him  the  subject  was  asleep,  and 
he  informed  me  that  he  had  just  given  the  signal.  This  -won- 
derful experiment  had  then  been  successful.  I  wondered  if 
some  secret  connection  had  not  taken  place,  and  made  up  my 
mind  to  try  another  experiment,  to  still  further  sharpen  my 
measure  of  precaution,  which  I  will  mention  later. 

Before  hypnotizing  at  a  distance  took  place,  I  had  a  long 
conversation  with  the  subject  who,  I  found,  had  misunderstood 
the  suggestion  given  him  bv  me  the  evening  before.  He  told 
me  that  he  had  a  pain  in  the  right  arm,  at  the  exact  spot  where  I 
had  pasted  the  paper,  and  during  the  night  he  got  up  and  bathed 
it  in  cold  water.  He  had,  of  course,  washed  the  paper  off.  He 
asked  me  if  I  did  not  think  a  Spanish  flv  that  would  draw  a  blister 
would  help  him.  "  What  makes  you  think  so,"  I  asked.  "I  don't 
know,"  said  he,  "but  just  thought  so."  "Have  you  ever  used 
a  Spanish  fly?"  I  again  asked.  "No,"  he  answered.  "How 
then  do  you  know,"  said  I,  "  that  it  draws  a  blister?  "  "  I  don't 
know,  but  just  thought  so,"  he  replied.  "  Very  well,"  I  answered, 
"  queer  enough,  you  have  struck  the  right  remedy.  I  will  now 
put  a  Spanish  fly  on  your  arm,  and  the  pain  will  immediately 


'5° 


HYPNOTIC    MISCELLANIES. 


disappear."  I  cut  a  piece  of  gummed  paper  into  a  strip 
about  two  inches  long  and  one  inch  and  a  half  wide,  which  I 
pasted  on  his  arm  and  put  a  bandage  around  it.  It  was  at  this 
point  that  the  above-mentioned  signal  was  given,  and  Mr.  Sex- 
tus  now  came  into  the  room  to  the  sleeper.  At  my  request  the 
hypnotist  now,  with  a  sharp,  almost  threatening  voice,  gave  the 
following  suggestions :  "  The  Spanish  fly  you  have  on  your 
arm  must  remain  there  undisturbed.  It  will,  without  causing 
you  any  pain,  draw  a  large  blister.  To-morrow  evening  at  9 
o'clock  you  must  come  here  to  the  Doctor's  office,  show  him  the 
blister,  and  inform  him  that  your  arm  is  well."  The  commands 
were  repeated  several  times,  sharp  and  distinct,  and  he  also  re- 
quired the  subject  to  repeat  the  suggestions  word  for  word. 
Mr.  Sextus,  ending  in  a  very  commanding  voice,  said  "  I  want 
this  to  happen." 

According  to  my  desire,  those  present  went  into  another 
room  while  I  remained  alone  with  the  subject,  whom  I  asked  Mr. 
Sextus  to  slowly  awaken  from  the  other  room,  the  door  of 
which  was  closed.  I  seated  myself  opposite  the  subject,  ready 
to  resume  the  conversation  where  it  had  been  interrupted.  I 
saiv  him  gasp  for  breath  three  times  in  succession,  and  then  grad- 
ually wake  tip.  I  spoke  to  him  and  he  answered  me  as  if  noth- 
ing had  interrupted  us.  I  will  only  remark  that  the  witnesses 
in  the  other  room  stated  that  Mr.  Sextus  had  awakened  the  subject 
by  making  three  passes  to  the  side,  which  corresponded  to  the 
three  gasps.  Shoemaker  Sch.  was  now  dismissed  \vithout  any 
idea  that  Mr.  Sextus  had  been  present. 

The  subject  arrived  the  25th  of  June,  five  minutes  after  the 
appointed  time.  Without  being  asked,  he  told  me  that  the 
pain  in  his  arm  had  disappeared,  and  that  the  plaster  (gummed 
paper)  had  come  loose  during  the  night,  that  he  had  replaced 
it,  and  in  order  to  keep  it  there  had  tied  a  thread  around  it. 
On  investigation  it  was  found  that  a  blister,  Jilled  with  water, 
had  formed,  the  exact  size  of  the  paper,  such  as  we  see  after  a 


HYPNOTIC    MISCELLANIES.  151 

quick  drawing  plaster  has  been  applied.  The  surrozmding 
skin,  as  is  usually  the  case,  ivas  not  red,  caused  by  the  extra 
current  of  blood,  but  perfectly  'white.  The  paper,  perhaps  on 
account  of  perspiration,  had  lost  all  its  gum.  On  closer  exami- 
nation, it  was  found  that  the  blister  was  exactly  the  same  as  formed 
after  a  Spanish  fly.  The  subject  had  experienced  no  pain  from 
the  experiment ;  he  had  hardly  even  noticed  the  blister. 

I  will  try  one  more  experiment  that  was  performed  the  same 
evening.  I  handed  the  subject  a  letter  telling  him  that  Mr. 
Sextus  had  left  it  for  him.  He  opened  the  envelope  and  imme- 
diately fell  asleep.  The  letter  contained  only  the  one  word, 
"sleep."  He  had  never  before  seen  Mr.  Sextus'  hand-writing, 
and  I  am  therefore  convinced  that  it  was  the  circumstance  of 
telling  him  who  it  was  from  that  caused  him  to  be  influenced. 
On  the  other  hand,  I  do  not  doubt  that  having  seen  the  hand- 
writing of  Mr.  Sextus,  it  would  only  be  necessary  to  hold  it 
before  his  eyes  to  bring  him  under  hypnotic  influence,  without 
mentioning  Mr.  Sextus'  name. 

I  was  anxious  to  try  one  more  experiment  of  hypnotizing  at 
a  distance,  under  such  guarantee  that  any  unbeliever  could  be 
convinced.  It  was  done  in  the  following  manner  on  the  yth 
of  June. 

I  had  invited  a  very  esteemed  but  skeptic  colleague,  also  a  lead- 
ing police  inspector,  to  come  to  mv  house  on  the  day  mentioned 
a  little  before  9  o'clock  p.  M.  The  above  mentioned  Shoemaker 
Sch.,  as  we  have  seen  was  very  susceptible  to  hypnotic  influence. 
I  had  per  letter  asked  him  to  be  at  my  house  at  9  o'clock.  I 
told  the  gentlemen  what  the  experiment  was  grounded  upon, 
and  did  not  try  to  hide  that  it  seemed  in  a  sense  superstitious, 
but  that  from  the  experiments  already  performed  I  considered  I 
had  good  cause  for  going  still  further. 

I  asked  them  to  set  the  exact  time,  when  Mr.  Sextus,  from  his 
apartments  in  Ny  Ostergadc,  should  begin  to  hypnotize  this  man 
in  my  room  on  St.  Kongensgadc,  near  the  Marble  Head  church. 


\C2  HYPNOTIC    MISCELLANIES. 

The  distance  in  a  straight  line  measured  on  a  map  is  2,790  feet. 
The  gentlemen  willingly,  even  with  a  smile  on  their  faces,  con- 
sented to  my  proposal.  A  letter  was  written  to  Mr.  Sextus, 
which  was  taken  to  him  at  his  home  by  my  son,  whose  watch 
had  been  set  with  ours.  Mr.  Sextus  was  requested  in  the  let- 
ter, at  exactly  fifteen  minutes  after  nine,  (the  time  having  been 
set  bv  mv  friends)  by  my  son's  watch,  to  commence  hypnotiz- 
ing Shoemaker  Sch.,  who  was  sitting  in  a  chair  in  my  room. 
The  subject  was  placed  with  his  face  to  the  light,  so  that  the 
two  srentlemen  who  were  conversing  with  him  could  watch  him 

c>  » 

closely.  I  had  given  him  a  cigar  which  he  seemed  very  much 
to  enjoy.  Just  'when  the  hands  of  our  watches  had  reached  the 
set  time,  his  face  assumed  a  disturbed  expression.  He  did  not 
ansiver  us,  rubbed  his  forehead  ivith  one  hand,  tried  to  brace 
himself  zip  and  come  out  of  the  stupor.  He  tried  to  pzit  his 
cigar  in  his  mouth,  but  his  hands  dropped  down  and  he  fell 
into  a  deep  sleep. 

The  long  distance  made  this  experiment  still  more  unex- 
plainable.  Mr.  Sextus  soon  arrived,  together  with  my  son,  and 
was  himself  rather  astonished  over  the  result.  He  had  never 
before  attempted  to  hypnotize  at  nearly  so  great  a  distance. 
There  was  a  number  of  other  experiments  tried  with  which  I 
will  not  tire  the  reader. — ^From  the  Illustrated  Family  Journal, 
Copenhagen,  Denmark,  July  31,  and  August  7,  188^.^ 

TESTIMONIAL. 

On  Wednesday  evening,  March  2,  1887,  Carl  Sextus,  the 
celebrated  hypnotist,  according  to  previous  arrangement,  ap- 
peared at  the  residence  of  the  undersigned  H.  F.  Jensen,  where 
a  limited  number  of  friends  were  gathered.  We  had  an  anima- 
ted and  interesting  conversation  in  regard  to  hypnotic  phenom- 
ena, which  Professor  Sextus  produces  with  great  ease  with 
susceptible  hypnotic  individuals.  Professor  Sextus  performed 
several  experiments  during  the  evening,  but  it  is  the  intention 


HYPNOTIC    MISCELLANIES.  153 

to  confirm  only  the  truth  of  the  following :  A  subject  was 
placed  in  hypnotic  sleep,  during  which  he  was  commanded  by 
Mr.  Sextus,  on  the  following  Saturday,  March  5,  at  S 
o'clock  P.  M.,  to  leave  his  home  in  Xorrebro  Gade  and  walk 
directly  to  the  residence  of  Dr.  Lutken,  at  67  Kongengade 
street,  where,  after  ringing  the  bell,  he  should  ask  for  Dr. 
Lutken,  introducing  himself  as  the  hypnotist,  Carl  Sextus,  who 
was  coming  to  hypnotize  the  doctor.  According  to  directions, 
and  on  the  day  mentioned,  the  subject  was  to  be  shown  into  the 
doctor's  drawing  room,  where  a  small  party  would  be  assembled 
to  perform  the  suggested  manifestations;  thereafter  to  crow 
like  a  cock,  swing  his  arms  in  the  air  and  fall  into  a  deep  hyp- 
notic sleep,  from  which  he  could  be  awakened  by  Professor 
Sextus  only,  who  for  the  occasion  is  to  be  present.  The  sub- 
ject was  instructed  to  keep  on  the  sidewalk,  and  to  carefully 
avoid  interference  with  the  crowd;  and  although  sleeping,  to 
bear  the  evidence  of  being  awake  in  a  perfectly  normal  condi- 
tion. To  ascertain  whether  these  instructions  were  followed 
according  to  the  suggestions  given  by  Mr.  Sextus,  a  committee 
consisting  of  Messrs.  S.  Petersen  and  R.  Jensen,  was  appointed 
to  follow  and  watch  the  subject. 

J.  L.  W.  V.JENSEN,  C.  E.,  Copenhagen  Telephone  Co. 

G.  M.  R.  LEVINSEN,  Principal  Royal  Zoological  Museum. 

JULIUS   XIELSEX,  Postmaster  Royal  Mail. 

SOPHUS   PETERSEN,  Actor,  Royal  Opera. 

HARALD  F.  JENSEN,  Vice  President  Copenhagen  Tel.  Co. 

WM.  JENSEN,  Bookkeeper  Danish  Sugar  Refining  Co. 

MARTIN   CREUTZ,  Lieutenant. 

VIGGO  BLYTHMAN,  Banker. 
FREDERIKSBERG,  March  2,  1887. 


We,  the  undersigned,  certify  that  the  subject  according  to 
the  instructions  given  him,  left  his  home  Saturday  evening  at  8 
o'clock,  and  went  to  the  residence  of  Dr.  Lutken,  and  on  the 


154  HYPNOTIC     MISCELLANIES. 

way  he  conducted  himself  exactly  in  accordance  with  the  orders 
given.  The  undersigned,  separated  by  a  short  distance,  fol- 
lowed the  subject  from  his  home  to  destination,  67  St.  Kongengade. 

J.  L.  W.  V.  JENSEN,  C.  E.,  Copenhagen  Telephone  Co. 
SOPHUS  PETERSEN,  Actor,  Royal  Opera. 
MAHTIN   CREUTZ,   Lieutenant. 
VIGGO  BLYTHMAN,  Banker. 
COPENHAGEN,  March  6,  1887. 


Herman  Schwartz,  M.  D.,  in  The  Illustrated  Family  Jour- 
nal, Copenhagen,  Nov.  25,  1887,  says: 

"  During  the  past  six  months  Mr.  Carl  Sextus,  of  whom 
Dr.  George  Lutken  recently  spoke  with  so  much  praise,  has 
been  conducting  a  considerable  number  of  hypnotic  cures  in  this 
city  in  co-operation  with,  and  under  the  direction  of  a  promi- 
nent physician. 

"Dr.  Lutken  has  recently  described  a  number  of  hypnotic 
experiments  conducted  by  him  and  Mr.  Sextus,  and  as  I  have 
had  occasion,  together  with  the  editor  of  this  journal,  Air.  Al- 
ler,  to  witness  a  number  of  experiments  differing  from  those 
described  by  Dr.  Lutken,  I  have  thought  it  might  not  be  unin- 
teresting to  give  our  readers  some  new  evidences  of  Mr.  Sextus' 
rare  powers  as  a  hypnotist. 

"On  Tuesday,  Nov.  4,  1887,  I  called  on  Mr.  Aller  in  his 
office  on  Blaagaardsgade,  to  arrange  the  details  for  the  experi- 
ments which  were  to  be  made  a  few  hours  later.  I  will  not 
deny  that  it  was  with  a  great  deal  of  doubt  of  obtaining  a  posi- 
tive result  that  I  went  trying  Mr.  Sextus'  ability  as  a  hypnotist; 
for  I  had  made  up  my  mind  to  select  a  distance  greatly  in  ac- 
cess of  any  that  Mr.  Sextus  had  heretofore  overcome.  After 
Mr.  Aller  and  I  had  completed  our  arrangements  in  regard  to 
the  experiment,  we  sent  for  Mr.  Sextus.  Mr.  Sextus  had  no 
idea  of  the  arrangements  I  had  made  with  Mr.  Aller,  but  when 


HYPNOTIC    MISCELLANIES.  I  55 

he  learned  that  a  new  experiment  in  hypnotism  was  to  be  tried 
he  showed  himself  ready  and  willing,  as  usual,  to  do  whatever 
we  required.  He  was  given  a  sealed  letter,  and  was  directed  to 
take  the  next  train  for  Lyngby,  distant  about  eleven  English 
miles  from  the  place  where  we  were;  to  proceed  to  the  tele- 
phone station  at  that  place,  deliver  the  letter  to  the  telephone 
director,  and  then  await  further  developments.  The  letter, 
which  Mr.  Sextus  delivered,  merely  requested  that  the  gentle- 
man addressed  should  be  present  with  Mr.  Sextus  as  a  witness ; 
and  that  he  carry  on  the  conversation  through  the  telephone, 
which  was  in  direct  communication  with  Mr.  Aller's  on  Blaa- 
gaardsgade.  In  the  meantime  a  messenger  was  sent  to  journey- 
man Shoemaker  Sch.,  whom  Mr.  Sextus  had  previously  utilized 
for  similar — if  not  so  far-reaching  —  experiments.  He  arrived 
at  3:45  P.  M.,  entirely  ignorant  of  what  was  about  to  take 
place.  Mr.  Aller  ltd  him  into  the  room  where  the  experiment 
was  to  be  made,  and  where  I  then  was.  There  was  no  intro- 
dution,  and  I  at  once  began  a  conversation  with  him,  and  asked 
him  why  he  had  come,  and  he  replied  that  he  did  not  know,  but 
that  he  had  received  a  letter  from  Mr.  Aller  requesting  him  to 
come  at  a  certain  time,  and  that  was  why  he  had  come.  I  gave  him 
a  cigar,  told  him  to  sit  down;  and  placed  myself  opposite  to 
him  ;  keeping  him  constantly  engaged  in  conversation.  I  told 
him  that  I  was  one  of  Mr.  Aller's  assistants,  and  that  we  ex- 
pected Mr.  Sextus  at  5  o'clock  to  try  some  experiments  in  hyp- 
notism in  which  he  (Sch.)  and  I  were  to  take  part  as  subjects.  I 
told  him  that  we  had  received  word  that  Mr.  Sextus  could  not 
come  until  an  hour  later  than  he  had  expected. 

"  It  was  now  4  o'clock.  Mr.  Aller  (who  had  in  the  meantime 
ascertained,  through  the  telephone  in  his  office,  that  Mr.  Sex- 
tus was  at  the  telephone  station  together  with  the  director  and 
his  daughter)  now  came  in  and  notified  me  by  a  sign  that  every- 
thing was  ready  for  the  trial.  It  is  a  matter  of  course  that  our 
watches  were  set  exactlv  alike. 


156  HYPNOTIC    MISCELLANIES. 

"At  four  minutes  after  four  Mr.  Aller  notified  Mr.  Sextus 
through  the  telephone  to  begin.  To  prevent  misunderstanding 
I  wottld  here  remark  that  the  telephone  room  'was  on  the  Jirst 
floor,  while  the  subject  -was  in  a  room  sittiated  on  the  foiirth 
floor  •  so  that  all  possibility  of  the  subject  being  able  to  hear  the 
conversation  carried  on  over  the  telephone  was  excluded. 

"  A  few  seconds  later  Mr.  Sextus  had  received  the  order  and 
executed  it,  making  a  pass  in  the  air  in  the  direction  of  Copen- 
hagen. At  the  same  instant  the  subject,  who  up  to  that  time 
had  been  freely  conversing  with  me  and  smoking  his  cigar, 
became  impatient.  He  no  longer  replied  when  spoken  to;  he 
rocked  his  body  backward  and  forward  ;  his  face  took  on  a 
stiff,  absent-minded  expression;  and  his  breathing  became 
rapid  and  irregular.  This  state  lasted  two  minutes.  He  then 
became  quiet.  His  breathing  became  regular;  he  drew  a  deep 
breath,  and  he  was  now  in  a  deep  hypnotic  sleep. 

"  We  now  telephoned  to  Mr.  Sextus  and  told  him  to  allow 
the  subject  to  sleep  five  minutes,  and  to  awaken  him  at  exactly 
nine  minutes  past  4  o'clock.  To  be  brief,  the  order  was  obeyed; 
and  at  exactly  five  minutes  after  the  subject  fell  asleep  he  drew 
a  deep  breath,  opened  his  eyes,  looked  around  a  moment  with  a 
puzzled  expression,  and  then  immediately  continued  the  con- 
versation as  if  nothing  had  happened.  I  handed  him  a  match 
to  light  his  cigar,  which  had  gone  out.  He  thanked  me,  and 
lighted  the  cigar,  remarking,  apologetically,  that  he  was  not 
accustomed  to  smoking,  and  that  it  was  probably  on  that  ac- 
count that  the  cigar  had  gone  out.  To  avoid  unnecessary 
repetition,  I  shall  simply  state  that  this  trial  was  made  twice 
more  within  an  hour — both  times  with  the  same  satisfactory  re- 
sult. I  would  observe  that  during  his  sleep  the  subject's  pulse 
was  between  120  and  130;  whereas,  while  he  was  awake  it 
was  eighty.  In  conclusion,  I  will  say  that  the  man  went  home 
at  5  o'clock,  having  been  told  that  we  had  received  word 
from  Mr.  Sextus  that  it  would  be  impossible  for  him  to  come  at 


HYPNOTIC    MISCELLANIES.  157 

the  appointed  hour.  He  left  without  having  the  slightest  idea 
that  he  had  been  hypnotized,  and  after  cheerfully  consenting 
to  come  to  Mr.  Aller's  private  residence  the  same  evening  at  7 
o'clock,  when  Mr.  Sextus  would  undertake  a  few  more  experi- 
ments. Before  I  proceed  to  describe  the  experiments  at  that 
time  I  will  mention  a  little  incident  which  occurred  in  one  of 
the  intervals  between  the  above  experiments,  and  which,  though 
seemingly  insignificant,  led  to  a  very  interesting  experiment 
later  on.  As  we  were  walking  about  the  room,  during  one  of 
these  intervals,  the  subject  stopped  at  a  table  and  picked  up  a 
photograph  of  Mr.  Sextus  and  examined  it.  When  we  asked 
him  if  he  would  care  to  own  it,  he  said  he  'would  rather  have 
one  of  himself.  We  replaced  it  on  the  table,  and  during  the 
evening  Mr.  Aller  suggested  an  experiment  based  on  this  inci- 
dent. 

"  That  evening  I  had  occasion  to  see  the  experiments  which  I 
shall  now  describe,  at  Mr.  Aller's  private  residence,  where  a 
select  party  of  ladies  and  gentlemen,  specially  invited,  had 
gathered.  Mr.  Sextus  did  only  what  he  was  requested  to  do. 
One  of  the  gentlemen  present,  a  Mr.  L.,  who  had  not  been 
present  at  the  long  distance  experiments  of  the  afternoon,  ex- 
pressed a  desire  to  see  a  similar  experiment,  and  as  he  was 
somewhat  skeptical  he  did  not  state  at  what  time  he  would  ex- 
pect the  experiment  to  be  made.  He  requested  Mr.  Sextus  to 
put  Sch.,  into  the  cataleptic  state.  Mr.  Sextus  at  once 
made  a  pass  in  the  air,  and  the  subject  fell  into  hypnotic  sleep 
and  on  Mr.  Sextus'  suggestion  at  once  became  perfectlv  rigid 
from  head  to  foot. 

"  The  guests  gathered  around  the  subject,  and  Mr.  L.,  who 
had  proposed  the  experiment,  requested  Mr.  Allcr  to  set  his 
'watch  exactly  with  his,  and  to  note  the  instant  the  subject  ivould 
awake.  Then,  with  a  slight  smile  on  his  lips,  and  without  saying 
another  word,  he  took  Mr.  Sextus  by  the  arm  and  led  him  out 
of  the  room  and  out  of  the  house,  down  the  street  about  a  block, 


HYPNOTIC    MISCELLANIES. 


around  the  corner  into  another  street,  where  he  walked  up  and 
down  with  Mr.  Sextus.  Suddenly  he  stood  still,  looked  at  his 
watch  and  said  to  the  hypnotist,  awaken  him  !  Sextus  made  his 
pass  in  the  air.  The  two  gentlemen  returned  to  the  house, 
where  they  found  the  guests  speaking  with  the  subject,  who 
had  suddenly  awakened  and  continued  his  conversation  without 
the  least  idea  of  having  been  put  to  sleep. 

'  On  comparison  it  was  shown  that  Mr.  Alleys  ivatch  showed 
that  exactly  twelve  minutes  had  elapsed  from  the  time  the  two 
gentlemen  left  the  house  until  the  subject  awoke,  and  Mr.  L. 
had  to  admit  that  exactly  that  length  of  time  had  passed  when 
he  told  Mr.  Sextus  to  awaken  him. 

"  Now  another  experiment.  While  the  guests  were  grouped 
about  the  room  listening  to  Mr.  Aller,  who  was  playing  the 
organ,  it  occurred  to  me  to  have  Sch.,  who  stood  by 
the  organ  greatly  enjoying  the  music,  hypnotized  for  a  moment. 
I  sat  on  the  sofa  with  Mr.  Sextus  and  Mr.  Aller's  daughter 
and  I  asked  Mr.  Sextus  if  he  could  hypnotize  him  without 
speaking  to  him  or  drawing  his  attention  in  any  way.  Sch. 
stood  at  the  organ  with  his  back  to  us.  Sextus  sat 
half  turned  away,  and  I  wratched  them  both.  Suddenly  about 
half  a  minute  after  I  had  made  my  request,  /  saw  Sch. 
getting  uneasy  ;  his  face  assumed  a  rigid,  absent  expression 
and  he  was  just  about  to  fall  asleep,  when  I  said  to  J\fr.  Sextus, 
(•awaken  him]  which  he  did  with  a  simple  motion  of  his  hand. 
Nobody  but  the  young  lady,  Mr.  Sextus  and  I,  had  any  idea  of 
what  had  happened. 

"  I  will  now  relate  the  experiment  which  was  suggested  by 
the  desire  expressed  by  the  subject  in  the  afternoon,  to  have  a 
portrait.  Mr.  Aller  cut  a  number  of  slips  of  paper  the  size  of 
an  ordinary  photograph.  On  one  of  these  he  placed  a  mark  — 
invisible  to  any  one  who  was  not  initiated.  Mr.  Sch.  was  now 
hypnotized,  and  Mr.  Sextus  requested  to  give  him  the  sugges- 
tion that  on  the  particular  piece  of  paper,  which  we  had  marked, 


HYPNOTIC    MISCELLANIES.  159 

he  would  find  an  excellent  portrait  of  himself;  and  that  he  could 
always,  whether  hypnotized  or  awake,  be  able  to  find  it  amongst 
the  other  similar  pieces,  and  to  distinctly  see  his  portrait.  He 
looked  over  the  slips  and  stopped  at  the  one  we  had  marked, 
and  said  that  was  his  photograph.  This  was  repeated  several 
times,  with  the  same  result,  for  he  always  picked  out  the  same 
slip.  He  was  then  awakened,  and  the  conversation  went  on  as 
though  nothing  had  happened.  After  some  time  I  approached 
Sch.,  and  asked  him  if  he  remembered  that  in  the 
afternoon  he  had  expressed  a  wish  to  possess  a  picture  of  him- 
self. When  he  replied  that  he  did,  I  handed  him  the  slips  of 
paper  and  told  him  that  on  one  of  them  was  his  photograph. 
He  evidently  thought  I  was  making  fun  of  him,  and  he  was 
half  offended,  pushing  the  slips  aside ;  and  for  some  time  it  was 
impossible  to  make  him  look  at  them  again.  Finally,  after  we 
had  earnestly  asked  him  to  look  them  over,  he  did  so,  still 
unwillingly  and  carelessly,  as  though  it  was  a  very  poor  joke. 
Suddenly  he  became  more  attentive ;  his  careless  expression 
gave  way  to  a  look  of  great  surprise,  and  he  said,  as  he  picked 
out  the  marked  slip:  '  Why,  that  is  my  'photograph;  but  how 
did  t hat  happen  /"  We  explained  to  him  that  after  Mr.  Aller 
heard  him  express  the  wish  to  possess  his  own  portrait,  he  had 
taken  an  instantaneous  photograph  of  him  while  he  stood  talk- 
ing to  me,  without  his  knowledge.  This  explanation  satisfied 
him,  and  with  evident  pleasure  he  put  the  supposed  photo  into 
his  breast-pocket.  Later  during  the  evening  he  was  always 
willing  to  show  his  photograph  to  anyone  who  wished  to  see 
it.  Once,  while  he  was  showing  it  to  a  gentleman,  it  was 
remarked  that  the  portrait  was  somewhat  dim,  and  he  replied 
that  that  was  no  wonder,  for  it  was  rather  dark  when  it  was 
taken. 

"  In  order  that  he  should  not  make  himself  ridiculous  before 
others  by  exhibiting  a  blank  piece  of  paper  as  his  photograph, 
he  was  again  hypnotized,  and  it  was  suggested  to  him  that  he 


l6o  HYPNOTIC    MISCELLANIES. 

must  never  show  the  photograph  to  anyone.  He  was  awakened, 
and  a  short  time  after  I  asked  him  to  let  me  see  his  photograph 
again,  but  he  was  completely  changed  in  manner.  He  only 
replied  that  it  was  of  no  use  as  I  had  already  seen  it.  He 
refused  to  show  it  to  anyone,  even  to  Mr.  Sextus.  When  he 
was  again  hypnotized  it  was  suggested  that  he  forget  all  about 
the  photograph,  which  he  did. 

"  Before  I  close  I  will  relate  a  few  more  experiments,  which 
show  the  power  Mr.  Sextus  exercises  over  his  subjects.  Mr. 
Sch.,  was  hypnotized,  and  then  I  and  several  others  present,  tried 
to  make  the  subject  obey  us,  but  in  vain  ;  then  Mr.  Sextus 
made  a  pass  in  the  air,  and  from  that  moment  the  subject  obeyed 
me.  In  this  manner  Mr.  Sextus  could  put  the  subject  in  rap- 
port with  anyone  of  the  persons  present,  and  transfer  his  power 
over  the  subject  to  such  persons ;  but  he  was  also  able  at  any 
time  to  take  back  the  influence  over  the  subject  to  himself. 
Thus  it  was  remarkable  to  see  how,  when  the  subject  was  fol- 
lowing' the  person  to  whom  the  power  had  been  transjerred 
Mr.  Sextus  could  draw  the  subject  toward  him,  with  his 
outstretched  arm,  even  when  the  subject  had  his  back  turned, 
and  even  though  Air.  Sextus  and  the  subject  were  in  different 
rooms. 

"  It  was  also  interesting  to  observe  how  blindly  the  subject 
obeyed  when  Mr.  Sextus  commanded  him  to  exactly  imitate 
every  movement  made  by  Mr.  Aller,  to  whom  Mr.  Sextus 
transferred  the  power  over  him.  Mr.  Aller  placed  himself  behind 
the  subject ;  if  he  walked  backwards,  the  subject  walked  back- 
wards. If  Mr.  Aller  moved  an  arm  or  a  leg,  so  did  the  sub- 
ject. If  Mr.  Aller  made  a  grimace  the  subject  imitated  it  ex- 
actly, and  this,  be  it  remembered,  when  the  back  of  the  subject 
was  turned  fo  Mr.  Aller,  and  this  gentleman  made  his  move- 
ments without  the  slightest  noise. 

"  The  subject,  in  the  cataleptic  state,  was  stretched  on  the 
floor.  By  passing  his  hand  in  the  air  above  the  subject,  Mr. 


HYPNOTIC    MISCELLANIES.  l6l 

Sextus  caused  the  body  to  form  a  bow,  convex  side  upwards, 
so  that  only  his  head  and  his  heels  rested  on  the  floor.  At 
another  time  during  the  sleep  I  held  my  hand  under  his  nose. 
Mr.  Sextus  told  him  it  was  a  bottle  of  ammonia,  and  he  at 
once  drew  back  his  head  with  an  expression  of  pain.  Then  I 
held  a  bottle  containing  ammonia  to  his  nose ;.  Mr.  Sextus  told 
him  it  was  odor  of  rose,  and  he  hailed  it  with  every  sign  of  de- 
light. Again  Mr.  Sextus  suggested  to  him  that  the  index  finger 
of  his  right  hand  was  entirely  devoid  of  feeling,  whereas  the 
middle  finger  of  the  same  hand  would  be  very  painful,  as  it 
would  be  cut.  I  then  passed  a  needle  through  the  index  fin- 
ger any  number  of  times  without  causing  the  subject  to  pay  the 
slightest  attention  to  it,  while  as  soon  as  I  merely  touched  the 
middle  finger  with  a  piece  of  paper  he  drew  his  hand  from  me 
with  every  evidence  of  pain. 

"  Hoping  that  I  have  not  tired  the  reader,  I  will  now  make 
clear  the  stand  I  have  taken  in  regard  to  hypnotism. 

"  I  am  thoroughly  convinced  that  in  a  physician's  hands 
hypnotism  will  often  prove  an  invaluable  remedial  agency,  but 
at  the  same  time  I  have  received  the  impression  that  it  was  not 
every  physician  who  should  hypnotize,  as  a  great  deal  of  ex- 
perience is  required,  which  the  practice  of  the  average  physi- 
cian prevents  him  from  acquiring.  Therefore,  it  is  my  idea, 
that  if  hypnotism  is  to  accomplish  a  great  deal,  physicians 
should  study  and  practice  it  as  a  specialty,  undertaking  the  cure 
of  those  diseases  which  are  amenable  to  its  influence  for  their 
colleagues  who  do  not  hypnotize." 

HVPNOTISM    AND    THE    MEANING    AND    USE    THEREOF,    I5V 
VIGGO    BENDZ,  M.   D. 

I  began  my  theoretic  studies  in  hypnotism  and  the  phenom- 
ena connected  with  it  a  little  over  one  year  ago.  According  to 
information  received  from  other  places,  it  was  clear  to  me,  that 
here  rested  something  so  mysterious  that  we  would  be  tempted 


l62  HYPNOTIC    MISCELLANIES. 

to  call  it  charlatanism.  However  much  it  looked  like  that,  it 
still  contained  a  kernel,  which  if  used  with  care  and  in  the  right 
place  and  manner,  would  afford  physicians  wonderful  assistance 
in  certain  cases,  especially  where  in  spite  of  drugs  and  remedies 
so  far  tried,  all  were  weaponless  towards  the  relief  of  the  suf- 
fering- it  was  then-  problem  to  cure,  or  at  least  alleviate.  I  con- 
cluded that  the  inmost  character  of  this  kernel  was  dependent 
upon  the  mental  influence  concentrated  on  the  proper  cords  by 
the  sick,  whose  mental  condition  the  physician  had  penetrated. 
I  was  not  long  in  discovering  that,  which  every  physician  soon 
learns,  the  effect  he  can  have  on  his  patients,  especially  on  ner- 
vous patients,  by  his  personal  appearance  and  authority ;  let 
that,  however,  be  as  great  as  it  may,  there  will  always  be  cases 
enough  where  he  will  come  to  a  stop,  on  account  of  the  patient's 
conscious  or  unconscious  resistance  and  doubt.  It  was  here  I 
intended  to  see  the  territory  where  hypnotism  would  be  of  val- 
uable assistance —  of  course  its  domain  is  limited.  It  could  be 
used,  for  instance,  in  cases  of  disturbed  blood  circulation,  in  ner- 
vous diseases  that  had  so  far  defied  all  other  known  remedies 
and  methods.  In  a  well  directed  mental  or  moral  treatment  in 
using  hypnotism,  we  abolish  the  resistance  that  makes  the  pa- 
tient in  a  waking  condition  unsusceptible  for  a  general  influence. 
During  the  hypnose,  we  are  able  to  impress  the  hypnotized  with 
all  imaginable  representations.  We  see  a  young  girl  feels  her- 
self unpleasantly  influenced,  by  smelling  a  bottle  that  contains 
only  water,  when  the  hypnotist  tells  her  it  is  ammonia.  Re- 
versing the  experiment,  another  lady  is  told  by  the  hypnotist 
that  a  bottle  which  really  contains  ammonia,  is  lovely  ottar  of 
roses,  which  she  inhales  with  evident  delight  and  pleasure.  On 
another  occasion  two  young  ladies  are  seen  kneeling,  and  be- 
lieve they  see  the  heavens  open  and  all  the  angels  visible.  The 
hypnotist  then  impresses  the  young  lady  with  the  belief  that  all 
of  her  muscles  are  as  rigid  as  steel,  and  inconsequence  of  which 
her  muscles  become  strained  to  a  very  high  degree ;  they  are 


HYPNOTIC    MISCELLANIES.  163 

stiff,  which  condition  can  be  easily  withdrawn  by  the  hypno- 
tist. 

It  is  also  possible,  in  many  cases,  to  cause  a  more  satisfac- 
tory frame  of  mind,  repel  feelings  of  pain,  arouse  confidence  of 
power  in  the  muscles  and  movements  of  the  limbs,  not  only 
while  the  hypnose  lasts,  but  also  after,  and  by  repeating  the  treat- 
ment several  times,  with  sufficient  intervals  to  give  the  patient 
confidence  in  himself,  is  exactly  what  is  required  for  a  number 
of  nervous  diseases,  something  which  can  in  very  few  cases  be 
obtained  through  energetic  mental  influence  without  hypnotizing. 

The  communications  from  foreign  countries,  as  well  as  from 
this  country,  about  hypnotic  cures  performed  by  Mr.  C.  Sextus, 
can  'only  tend  to  strengthen  my  opinion  in  regard  to  hypno- 
tism's actual  worth  in  cases  to  which  it  is  adapted. 

It  follows  as  a  matter  of  course,  that  where  hypnotism  can 
be  used  as  a  method  of  cure,  in  each  special  case  it  should 
be  decided  by  a  man  who  can  examine  the  patient's 
physical  and  mental  condition,  and  who  is  thoroughly  acquainted 
with  hypnotism,  not  only  through  books,  but  through  expe- 
rience. He  ought  before  practicing  its  use  to  have  watched  its 
effect  on  several  persons  of  different  constitutions  and  tempera- 
ments. He  should  necessarily  have  witnessed  and  understood 
the  different  conditions  that  are  shown  through  the  different 
ways  in  which  hypnose  is  introduced. 

As  my  interest  in  the  science  increased,  I  gradually  ac- 
quainted myself  with  it.  My  personal  experience  was  limited 
to  a  performance  given  by  C.  Hanson,  the  well-known  Danish 
hypnotist,  a  number  of  years  ago  in  the  People's  Theatre  in  Co- 
penhagen, where  I  was  present  as  a  prejudiced  spectator.  I 
concluded  to  seek  out  Mr.  Carl  Sextus,  whose  good  will  toward 
physicians  was  well  known  to  me.  Possibly  through  him  I 

L         *  w  O 

thought  I  might  be  able  to  see  something  that  would  enable 
me  to  use  hypnotism  in  my  practice.  However,  if  I  never  used 
it  at  all  it  would  always  interest  me  scientifically.  That  I  pursued 


164  HYPNOTIC    MISCELLANIES. 

this  course  I  have  never  had  any  occasion  to  regret.  I  believed 
I  had  reasons,  and  expected  to  he  operated  on  by  a  practiced  con- 
jurer, but  after  seeing  the  man  and  speaking  with  him  on  many 
occasions  I  found  myself  pleasantly  surprised.  There  was 
nothing  at  all  theatrical  or  deceptive  about  him.  He  took 
hold  of  the  matter  earnestly  and  seriously,  and  I  found  he  had 
unbounded  faith  in  his  chosen  profession.  He  does  not  look 
upon  hypnotism  as  a  supernatural  power  belonging  solely  to 
him.  He  was  willing  on  all  occasions  to  sift  the  phenomena 
with  me,  explaining  what  he  could,  and  at  the  same  time  admit- 
ting that  many  of  the  phenomena  were  beyond  his  explana- 
tion. 

At  a  great  sacrifice  of  his  time,  he  showed  me  a  series  of  the 
usual  experiments,  which  are  now  familiar  to  those  who  inves- 
tigate such  matters.  He  also  allowed  me  to  perform  different 
experiments.  These  phenomena  are  interesting  to  all  who  can 
witness  them  at  close  range,  and  especially  interesting  to  a  phy- 
sician, when  there  are  a  number  of  subjects  and  he  is  able  to 
compare  their  susceptibleness ;  noting  how  the  hypnose  is  easily 
produced  on  one  in  a  certain  way,  while  a  different  method  is 
used  on  another ;  how  it  effects  the  pupil  of  the  eye,  the  pulse 
and  the  breath ;  while  one  is  susceptible  to  suggestions,  in  the 
other  it  would  be  almost  impossible  to  awaken  intelligent  action. 
The  cataleptic  condition  is  easily  produced  in  one,  while  other 
subjects  may  not  be  so  affected  ;  and  last — but  not  least  interest- 
ing— how  they  are  awakened  by  different  methods  according  to 
their  individual  condition. 

All  that  Mr.  Sextus  has  shown  me  and  other  well  known 
physicians,  who  have  always  been  present  as  witnesses,  has 
transpired  without  the  least  theatrical  effect,  and  there  has  been 
so  much  left  for  us  to  decide  and  do,  that  all  suspicion  of  "  hum- 
bug" disappeared.  It  was  not  only  as  the  practiced  hypnotist 
that  we  knew  Mr.  Sextus ;  but  we  have  had  many  non-hyp- 
notic meetings  and  interviews  with  him,  and  we  have  thus 


HYPNOTIC    M1SCBLLANIES.  165 

acquired  an  insight  into  his  amiable  personality.  When  the 
conversation  has  turned  on  social  life  and  humanity,  he  has 
shown  a  wonderful  comprehension  and  reflection,  surprising  in 
a  man  of  twenty-eight  years  of  age,  even  though,  like  Mr.  Sex- 
tus,  he  has  experienced  many  changes  during  his  life  abroad 
and  such  as  fall  to  the  lot  of  very  few. 

I  have  carefully  examined  and  questioned  those  persons 
hypnotized  by  Mr.  Sextus  for  me,  in  regard  to  their  health 
before  and  after  the  experiments,  especially  if  they  found  them- 
selves nervous,  or  in  any  way  unpleasantly  influenced  after  the 
different  trials  of  hypnotizing,  but  I  have  not  yet  received  an 
answer  in  the  affirmative. 

There  can  be  none  more  willing  to  admit  than  I  that  we 
cannot  be  too  careful  in  our  conclusions,  and  must  also  guard 
against  untimely  and  over-hypnotizing  by  incompetents,  which 
would  bring  danger  to  nervous  systems  and  mental  conditions. 
We  stand  opposite  a  remedy,  which  like  all  very  powerful 
remedies,  can  be  used  to  advantage  and  can  also  be  misused. 

I  cannot  conclude  these  lines  without  describing  a  few  of 
the  trials  made  by  Mr.  Sextus,  as  well  as  some  of  the  experi- 
ments he  allowed  me  to  perform.  I  will  first  mention  experi- 
ments performed  at  a  distance,  which,  to  the  physician,  for  the 
time  being  is  of  the  least  consequence — but  these  offer  much  of 
interest,  especially  because  at  the  unspoken  command  the  sub- 
ject at  a  distance  obeys,  but  will  not  attempt  an  explanation  of 
this  phenomena.  Mr.  Sextus  performed  such  an  experiment 
for  me  at  a  distance  of  several  hundred  yards  from  my  resi- 
dence, where  myself  and  the  subject  remained.  I  have  also 
had  an  opportunity  to  do  something  similar  with  a  subject 
whom  Mr.  Sextus  transferred  to  my  control,  under  circum- 
stances where  he  could  not  possibly  play  any  part,  as  my  wife, 
in  a  distant  room,  wrote  the  time  for  the  hypnose  to  commence 
and  conclude,  and  brought  the  orders  to  me  without  trusting 
them  to  anvone  else.  The  conferring  of  the  power  of  the 


l66  HYPNOTIC    MISCELLANIES. 

hypnotist  to  another  is  a  phenomenon  which  certainly  awakens 
great  interest,  but  of  which  I  can  see  no  explanation.  When 
Mr.  Sextus  has  given  the  control  of  a  subject  to  another  he  re- 
tains the  power  by  which  he  can  bring  the  subject  under  his  own 
control  at  any  time.  Mr.  Sextus  commanded  a  subject  while 
under  hypnose  that  at  a  certain  time  after  being  awakened  he 
should  take  a  neck-tie  pin  from  one  of  those  present.  The  sub- 
ject positively  refused  to  obey  and  declared:  "  Tou  have  said, 
Mr.  Sextus,  that  I  should  not  commit  a  theft,  either  sleeping 
or  waking,  and  I  will  not  do  it"  A  few  weeks  earlier  Mr. 
Sextus  had  hypnotized  the  same  man  at  my  house,  and  while 
in  hypnotic  sleep  he  was  told  to  steal  a  watch  from  a  gentle- 
man present,  but  Mr.  Sextus  remarked  that  he  should  not  steal  it 
with  the  intention  of  keeping  it,  but  only  to  show  the  gentle- 
man how  carelessly  he  wore  his  gold  watch  and  chain.  The 
subject  seemed  unwilling  to  do  this  and  refused.  Later  on  the 
suggestion  was  repeated,  and  the  subject  was  informed  that  the 
gentleman  understood  the  whole  thing  was  a  joke,  and  on 
promising  to  give  the  watch  back,  he  immediately  placed  him- 
self in  the  vicinity  of  the  gentleman  and  stole  the  watch  with  a 
certain  slyness.  The  suggestion  was  made  that  the  experiment 
was  not  in  any  case  to  be  repeated  in  the  future,  even  as  a  joke^ 
that  he  was  never  to  do  anything  of  the  kind  under  any  cir- 
cumstance, but  to  continue  to  be  what  he  always  had  been — an 
honest  man. 

Mr.  Sextus  asserts  positively,  in  regard  to  hypnotizing  of 
the  sick  and  the  influence  we  thereby  secure  over  them,  that 
when  the  cure  is  complete  the  treatment  can  be  concluded  by 
suggesting  that  in  the  future  the  patient  will  not  be  able  to  be 
hypnotized  in  any  way,  no  matter  what  method  may  be  used, 
nor  who  tries — unless  he  on  account  of  sickness  should  wish  it, 
and  by  that  means  the  hypnotist's  power  over  him  is  broken. 

I  had  an  opportunity  to  ascertain  the  truth  of  the  above  in 
the  case  of  a  lady  who  had  been  repeatedly  hypnotized  by  her 


HYPNOTIC    MISCELLANIES.  167 

husband.  She  was  very  susceptible  to  hypnotic  influence,  but 
through  suggestion  I  made  it  impossible  for  her  to  be  hypno- 
tized. In  the  above  rests  great  comfort,  both  for  the  sick  and  the 
hypnotists,  who  wish  to  see  hypnotism  used  as  a  method  of  cure. 

VIGGO  BEXDZ,  M.  D. 

STEN  BLICHERS  VEJ   No.  5,  FREDERIKSBERG,  COPENHA- 
GEN, DENMARK,  October  21,  i8SS. 


EXTRACT    FROM    STOCKHOLM    DAGBLADET,   JAN.    2O,     1885. 

"After  being  present  at  Mr.  Sextus'  seance  on  the  lyth,  the 
subscribers  feel  justified  in  calling  the  attention  of  the  public  to 
the  wonderful  experiments  which  we  witnessed,  and  to  begin 
with  we  \vould  distinctly  state,  neither  imagination  nor  humbug 
were  elements  of  this  exhibition.  These  experiments  not  only 
deserve  the  interest  of  the  masses,  but  much  more  are  worthy 
of  the  attention  of  investigators,  as  they  serve  to  enlighten  us  in 
regard  to  powers  of  nature  which  are  as  yet  almost  wholly 
unknown. 

"  ANTON  Xv STROM,  M.  D. 

"  C.   F.   K LEMMING,  Roval  Chief   Librarian." 


MEDICAL   WEEKLY,  COPENHAGEN,  JULY   2,    1887. 

11 A     Case    of    Chronic    Morphinism    treated    by    Means    of 

Hypnotism. 

"  In  various  French  journals  I  had  read  of  cases  of  mor- 
phinism  which  had  been  cured  by  means  of  hypnotism,  and  as 
I  once  more  determined  to  free  myself  from  my  terrible  habit, 
I  grasped  this  idea  as  a  drowning  man  clutches  a  straw.  To 
thoroughly  investigate  the  matter  I  placed  myself  in  communi- 
cation with  Mr.  Carl  Sextus,  the  hypnotist,  whose  method  of 
handling  patients  I  considered  more  rational  and  effective  than 
that  of  any  of  the  hypnotists  with  whom  I  had  previously  come 
in  contact. 


l68  HYPNOTIC    MISCELLANIES. 

"  I  succeeded  in  inducing  Mr.  Sextus  to  remain  in  my  home, 
and  every  day  I  was  put  into  a  hypnotic  sleep  for  about  an 
hour,  after  which  I  felt  greatly  strengthened  and  refreshed. 
At  this  time  I  was  using  about  no  centigrams — or  18  grains- 
daily,  divided  in  four  doses,  which  were  administered  by  an- 
other, so  that  I  did  not  have  the  syringe  and  solution  in  my 
possession. 

"  On  the  sixth  day  I  forgot  to  ask  for  an  injection,  and  from 
that  moment  I  appreciated  the  health-bringing  influence  of  hyp- 
notic sleep  and  by  availing  myself  of  it.  The  amount  of 
morphine  used  was  in  one  month  reduced  from  no  centigrams 
to  six  centigrams,  without  bringing  on  any  of  the  symptoms 
which  usually  follow  abstinence,  although  I  attended  to  my 
practice  and  lived  as  usual  in  other  respects. 

"  During  this  entire  period  I  was  constantly  in  the  best  pos- 
sible humor,  sleeping  all  night  from  10:30  to  6,  after  being 
hypnotized  in  bed.  I  would  only  add,  that  every  time  I  slept 
it  was  suggested  to  me  that  I  would  feel  well  and  be  able  con- 
stantly to  reduce  the  quantity  of  morphine  consumed. 

«J.  P.  G.  JOHANSEX,  M.  D." 


"  At  the  request  of  the  author  of  the  above  statement,  I  de- 
sire to  add  that  from  Dr.  C.  A.  Hansen,  M.  D.,  in  Nysted,  who 
also  has  treated  the  author,  and  who  has  closely  followed  the 
history  of  the  case,  I  have  received  a  statement  agreeing  exactly 
with  the  above  in  every  detail. 

"V.  BUDDE,  M.  D.,  Editor  Medical  Weekly." 


DA'NISH    CONSULATE, 
259   MILWAUKEE    AVENUE,    CHICAGO,    ILL. 

EMIL    DREIER,    CONSUL. 
OTTO   A.    DREIER,    VICE    CONSUL. 

I  hereby  certify,  that  the  four  Danish  doctors,  Dr.  V. 
Bendz,  Dr.  A.  Lutkin,  Dr.  H.  Schwartz  and  Dr.  J.  P. 
Johansen,  who  have  signed  certificates  endorsing  the  hypnotic 


HYPNOTIC    MISCELLANIES.  169 

treatment  of  Mr.  C.  Sextus,  are  regular  physicians,  graduates 
of  the  University  of  Copenhagen,  Denmark,  and  also  certify, 
that  the  recommendations  are  genuine. 

c  1T"^T  %  EMIL  DREIER, 

\   Royal  \  ' 

1     Seal    \  Consul  rf  Denmark. 

Chicago,  III.,  Nov.  14,  1889. 


Chicago,  Nov.  16, 

It  is  hereby  certified,  that  Mr.    Carl  Sextus  has  been  rec- 

ommended by  Anton  Nystrom,  M.  D.,  and  C.  F.  Klcmming^ 

Librarian  of  the  Royal  Library  at  Stockholm,  Siveden,  and  is 

favorably  mentioned  by  B.  Meyer,  M.  D.,  and  A.  Doc,  M.  D., 

from  the  University  of  Christiania,  Norway,  all  of  whom  have 

been  present  at  seances  held  by  Mr.  Sextus. 

~fo^l  PETER  S  VANOE, 

Seal     \  Swedish  and  Norwegian   Vice-  Consul. 


48  Michigan  avenue. 


ROYAL    DANISH    CONSULATE, 

CHICAGO. 

OTTO    A.    DREIER,    ACTING    CONSUL, 
2O9    FREMONT    STREET. 

This  will  certify  that  I  know  the  bearer,  Mr.  Carl  Sextzts, 
to  be  the  well-known  and  accomplished  hypnotist,  native  of  the 
Kingdom  of  Denmark,  who,  some  years  ago,  in  connection  with 
some  of  the  leading  physicians  and  scientific  men  of  Denmark, 
performed  many  marvelozis  cures  and  gave  many  astonishing 
exhibitions  of  his  skill — which  cannot  be  called  in  question — as 
well  in  Norway  and  Sweden  as  in  Denmark. 

~T^  OTTO  A.  DREIER, 

\     c     /    \  Kgl.  Dansk   Vice-Consul. 

^.r^-L,  P-  *•   Consul. 

Chicago,  111.,  Feb.  20,  1893. 


170  HYPNOTIC    MISCELLANIES. 

THE  MYSTERIOUS  SOUL-POWER  OR  WILL-POWER;  ALSO  CALLED 

TELEPATHY  OR   MEXTAL    TELEGRAPHY. 

Often  people  ask  :  "Is  there  any  power  in  the  mind  to  pro- 
duce a  result  by  simply  willing  it?" 

Yes  j  everyone  has  force  or  will-power,  more  or  less ;  but 
very  few  understand  how  to  use  it. 

"  Can  human   magnetism  or  will-power  act   at  a  distance?" 

Certainly.  The  magnetic  aura,  or  nerve  ether,  has  a  great 
sphere  of  action,  as  one,  by  its  help,  can  operate  at  incredible  dis- 
stances  —  especially  "when  the  operator  has  been  in  rapport  with 
a  sensitive  person.  The  distances  are  so  considerable  that  it 
seems  as  if  no  limit  can  be  stated.  In  such  cases  of  magnetizing 
ormental  telegraphy  atlong  distance  the  message, or  the  magnetic 
aura,  is  transported  by  the  aid  of  the  will  and  the  sympathy. 
This  peculiar  power  or  will  passing  from  the  telegrapher  or 
operator  can  frequently  be  applied  with  success  upon  persons,  who 
besides  being  specially  sensitive,  willingly  give  themselves  up  to 
the  operator,  particularly  upon  persons  who  have  been  operated 
upon  before. 

Magnetism  seems  to  be  the  special  agent  of  will-power  ;  and 
it  belongs  to  the  body,  while  the  will  is  of  the  soul.  There  are 
various  e  cctric  currents  which  travel  through  the  earth  ;  and 
whatever  emanates  from  the  mina  (and  mind  is  the  creator  of 
all  things')  falls  in  with  its  like  and  journeys  on  doing  its 
work. 

In  the  matter  of  personal  magnetism  a  current  can  be  con- 
veyed for  miles  when  the  two  persons  have  previously  been 
in  rapport ;  and  then  when  a  current  has  been  established  the 
positive  can  send  it  along  to  the  negative  by  the  mind  power  or 
will,  which  is  superior  to  material  force.  My  own  experiments 
in  hypnotizing  at  a  distance,  and  other  hypnotists'  experiments 
in  the  same  line,  under  the  same  or  similar  circumstances,  will 
prove  this. 


HYPNOTIC    MISCELLANIES. 


"  There  is  a  human  telegraphy,"  says  O.  Isychismo  (Lisbon.) 
"  There  has  been  reserved  for  human  magnetism,  perhaps,  one  of 
the  greatest  triumphs  in  modern  discoveries,  that  is  to  say,  the 
superseding  of  the  electric  telegraph  for  the  transmission  of 
thought  to  a  distance.  Numerous  already  are  the  cases  in  which 
magnetizers  operate  upon  persons  magnetized  at  enormous  dis- 
tances, and  oblige  them  to  do  what  is  required  of  them,  by  men- 
tal action,  just  as  effectually  as  if  they  dictated  to  them  by 
spoken  words." 

In  Spain  there  is  a  group  called  the  "  Spiritual  Telephonic 
Net."  One  section  of  it  is  at  Mahon  (on  the  island  of  Minorca), 
and  the  other  at  Barcelona  (on  the  coast  of  the  mainland,  about 
140  miles  distant),  and  the  expectations  are  that  what  Allan 
Kardec  predicted  in  his  "Book  of  Mediums."  will  be  realized. 


TELEPATHY. 

In  presenting  to  my  readers  the  portrait  of  Professor  Robert 
A.  Campbell,  I  desire  to  acknowledge  my  indebtedness  to  him 
for  this  excellent  article  on  Telepathy,  and  also  for  much  prac- 
tical assistance  in  putting  this  work  through  the  press.  Pro- 
fessor Campbell  is  an  earnest,  indefatigable  and  practical  inves- 
tigator who  has  devoted  the  best  portion  of  a  persistently  indus- 
trious life  to  the  study  of  humanity;  or  as  he  himself  puts  it: 
"My  studies  are  altogether  concerning  man's  origin,  nature, 
improvement  and  destiny;  with  especial  reference  to  the  theo- 
retical and  practical  means  of  man's  betterment — physically* 
mentally  and  morally — here  and  now." 

There  is  probably  no  one  who  has  given  telepathy  a  more 
critical,  exhaustive  and  practical  study  than  Professor  Camp- 
bell ;  and  he  kindly  furnishes  the  following  as  his  conclusions  in 
regard  to  the  subject : 

"Telepathy  is  comparatively  a  new  word — at  least  in  the 
sense  in  which  it  is  now  frequently  used.  By  telepathy  in  this 
paper  I  mean  the  influence  which  one  person,  by  his  will  or 


172  HYPNOTIC    MISCELLANIES. 

mental  suggestion  and  without  any  material  media  of  communi- 
cation, may  exert  over  another  at  a  distance. 

"The  French  Academy  of  Medicine  appointed  a  committee 
on  mesmerism  to  make  a  thorough  examination  of  the  subject. 
This  committee  gave  the  subject  their  careful  attention  for  a 
period  of  five  years,  and  made  an  exhaustive  report  in  1831. 
The  fifteenth  section  of  that  report  was  as  follows : 

"  '  When  a  person  has  once  put  another  into  what  is  called  a 
magnetic  sleep,  he  need  not  always  have  recourse  to  passes  or 
personal  contact  to  magnetize  the  subject  again.  The  look  of 
the  magnetizer,  his  will  even,  without  the  look,  may  exert  the 
same  influence  upon  the  subject.  This  influence  is  also  at  times 
effective  when  the  subject  is  entirely  ignorant  of  the  will  of  the 
operator,  and  even  when  they  are  at  a  considerable  distance 
apart,  in  different  rooms  with  closed  doors  between  them.' 

"The  absolute  truth  of  this  statement  has  been  abundantly 
verified  time  and  again  by  scores  of  the  most  careful  and  relia- 
ble operators.  Still  it  is  no  uncommon  thing  to  hear  seemingly 
intelligent  and  honest  gentlemen — even  those  who  claim  to  be 
scientists  and  students — sneeringly  denounce  mesmerism  as  a 
fraud  or  delusion,  and  superciliously  allude  to  mesmeric  opera- 
tors and  subjects  as  being  either  charlatans  or  fools,  or  a  mix- 
ture of  both.  It  is  enough  here  to  say  that  no  one  who  has 
fairly  examined  the  subject  has  any  doubt  about  the  truth  of  the 
above  statement,  made  more  than  sixty  years  since  to  the  French 
Academy  of  Medicine. 

"  Mesmerists — that  is  those  who  believe  in  a  specific  vital 
entity  or  influence,  emanating  from  the  operator,  passing  to  the 
subject  and  acting  upon  the  subject — offer  no  solution,  or  even 
suggestive  solution  of  this  influence  of  the  operator's  will,  at  a 
distance  from  the  subject,  when  the  latter  is  ignorant  of  the 
operator's  intent.  The  hypnotists — that  is  those  who  claim 
that  the  operator  simply  uses  mechanical  means  to  induce  trance 
— which  they  assert  is  a  purely  subjective  proceeding — are 


HYPNOTIC    MISCELLANIES.  173 

equally  unable  to  offer  any  plausible  explanation  of  the  admitted 
facts  as  above  stated. 

"  Those  who  follow  Sunderland  and  his  theory  of  sugges- 
tion— that  is  that  the  operator  simply  calls  up  in  the  mind  of 
the  subject  the  idea  of  being  controlled,  and  then  suggests  the 
idea  of  certain  thoughts  and  the  consequent  acts — call  this  telep- 
athic influence  suggestion  at  a  distance^  but  they  offer  no 
explanation  as  to  how  or  why  this  suggestion  is  made  effective. 

"F.  W.  H.  Myers,  the  great  London  psychologist  and  secre- 
tary of  the  London  Society  for  Psychical  Research,  says  in  an 
essay  on  this  subject,  read  before  that  learned  and  well 
known  society,  and  published  in  number  ten  of  their  proceed- 
ings of  October,  iSS6: 

" '  In  my  own  view,  no  complete  solution  of  the  problem  is 
possible.  We  are  entirely  ignorant  of  the  nature  of  the  force 
which  may  be  supposed  to  be  operated  in  the  production  of 
telepathic  phenomena — to  impel  or  facilitate  the  passage  of 
thought  or  sensations  from  one  mind  to  another  without  the 
intervention  of  the  recognized  organs  of  sense.' 

"Now,  this  seems  very  discouraging  to  one  who  desires  a 
solution  to  this  wonderful  problem.  Of  course,  there  are  scores 
and  hundreds  of  self-assertively  wise  operators  who  have  given 
this  vast  field  of  investigation  a  passing  attention,  who  c  can 
make  the  whole  thing  as  clear  as  mud '  by  their  complete  and 
complex  theories;  but  no  man  of  learning,  who  has  given  the 
matter  serious  study  and  extended  examination,  pretends  to 
offer  more  than  a  merely  suggestive  and  unsatisfactory  expla- 
nation. 

"  But  we  can  admit  the  facts,  and  duplicate  the  phenomena 
without  knowing  the  reason,  the  essential  cause,  or  the  special 
force  that  is  involved  in  this  class  of  results.  We  must  have  a 
greater  array  of  facts,  and  a  broader  experience  which  shall 
employ  more  and  different  operators,  as 'well  as  a  wider  range 
of  subjects,  before  we  need  expect  to  understand  thoroughly 


174  HYPNOTIC    MISCELLANIES. 

the  modes  of  these  operations — much  less  the  special  force  em- 
ployed. 

"  To  illustrate  :  Very  few  people  in  this  community  will 
question  the  fact  that  messages  are  sent  from  one  city  to  another 
by  means  of  telegraph.  How  many  of  those  who  read  such 
messages  or  receive  them  are  familiar  with  the  material  neces- 
sities of  the  telegraph  line  and  the  telegraph  office  ?  How  many 
are  familiar  with  the  mode  of  transmitting  a  communica- 
tion over  the  wires?  How  few  ever  realize  that  thoughts  are 
never  transmitted  by  telegraph?  The  operator  need  not,  and  in 
fact  does  not  usually  take  any  note  of  the  thoughts  in  the  mes- 
sage. He  simply  translates  the  letters  of  the  communication 
into  dots  and  dashes.  He  simply  opens  and  closes  the  current, 
that  is,  he  presses  on  the  key  a  certain  time  to  suggest  a 
dash  to  the  operator  at  the  other  end  of  the  line,  and  half  as 
long  to  suggest  a  dot.  He  removes  his  pressure  from  the  key 
a  certain  time  between  the  dots  and  dashes  that  suggest  a  letter, 
for  a  longer  time  between  the  combinations  that  suggest  a 
word,  and  for  a  still  longer  time  between  the  end  of  one  sen- 
tence and  the  beginning  of  the  next.  So  thoughts  are  not 
transmitted  by  telegraph — only  mechanical  impulses.  Nor,  is 
it  at  all  necessary  that  the  expert  operator  understand  the 
theory — or  any  theory — of  electricity.  The  mode  of  operation  is 
all  he  needs  to  know  to  be  an  operator.  More  than  this,  it  is 
not  necessary  for  any  one  to  understand  the  nature  of  electricity 
in  order  to  successfully  build  and  operate  a  telegraph  line — or 
any  other  electrical  apparatus.  All  that  needs  to  be  known  is 
the  mode  and  conditions  of  its  operation. 

"  In  fact  no  one  knows  the  essential  force  or  nature  of  elec- 
tricity, but  only  some  of  its  conditions  of  action,  and  some  of  its 
effects.  The  theory  that  electricity  is  a.  fluid  that  passes  along 
the  conductors  one  way,  or  both  wavs,  simultaneously,  is  affirmed 
and  denied  by  equally  honest  and  equally  intelligent  men,  who 
have  abundant  practical  experience  in  the  laboratory  and  in  the 
industrial  application  of  this  unknown  force. 


HYPNOTIC    MISCELLANIES.  175 

"  The  undulatory  or  vibratory  theory  of  impact  from  one 
atom  or  molecule,  to  its  next  neighbor,  along-  the  line  of  the  con- 
ductor from  operator  to  receiver,  is  equally  asserted  and  denied 
as  the  fluidic  theory. 

"  But  this  lack  of  knowledge  as  to  the  real  nature,  and  as  to 
the  essential  method  of  electricity,  does  not,  in  the  least  degree, 
suggest  that  we  should  deny  the  phenomena  of  electricity;  or 
that  we  may  repudiate  the  mechanical  conditions  and  practical 
methods. 

"  Now  if  we  accept  the  facts  of  electrical  phenomena,  and  util- 
ize their  practical  results  and  mechanisms,  without  knowing  all 
the  reasons  for  these  special  appliances — except  that  they  have 
been  found  effective  —  why  should  we  deny  the  facts  of  telepa- 
thy? And  why  should  we  demand  a  satisfactory  and  full  the- 
ory and  explanation  of  the  newer  and  higher,  while  we  accept 
and  use  the  lower  and  older  without  any  such  satisfactory  solu- 
tion ? 

"  How  many  centuries  since  the  clasp  of  the  hands  have  intu- 
itively bound  lovers  in  the  bonds  of  affection?  How  long  since 
a  glance  from  one  pair  of  eyes  meeting  recognition  in  another 
pair  of  eyes  have  aroused  a  latent  affection  to  bless  two  lives? 
How  long  since  the  impulsive  meeting  of  masculine  and  femi- 
nine lips  have  aroused  hitherto  unknown  passion,  devotion  and 
bliss?  How  often  the  peculiar  accent  of  a  word  —  often  used 
before— has  revealed  and  aroused  an  enthusiastic  confidence? 
How  often  a  gesture  of  the  hand,  a  glance  of  the  eye,  a  blush- 
ing or  paling  of  the  cheek,  have  established  or  utterly  destroyed 
the  bond  between  two  hearts?  How  often  even  the  marks  of  a 
pen  on  a  sheet  of  paper  have  blessed  or  blighted  the  fondest 
hopes  ? 

"And  who  has  denied  these  occult  effects?  And  who  has 
explained  how  or  tt'^ysuch  things  result  from  such  causes? 

"  But  more  than  all  these,  how  often  the  face  of  a  dear  one 
in  a  vision,  or  a  dream — but  still  more  real  in  the  waking  and  con- 


176  HYPNOTIC    MISCELLANIES. 

scious  life  —  has  appeared  to  announce  the  love,  the  welfare,  or, 
mayhap,  the  deatli  of  the  body — and  thus  the  spiritual  birth — of 
the  loved  one?  Nay,  how  often  the  feeling  of  the  impalpable 
and  unvisual  presence  of  such  a  friend  has  set  at  rest  the  anxiety 
or  aroused  the  apprehension  of  the  sensitive? 

"  How  many  question  these  last  phenomena  because  they 
never  experienced  them;  not  knowing  that  on  the  same  ground 
the  unloving  may  question  pure  affection  ;  and  the  blind  also 
question  light ;  and  the  deaf  question  music,  and  the  leper  ques- 
tion touch? 

"And  who  among  the  blessed  and  favored  throng,  who 
from  sweet  experience,  or  anguishing  revelation,  know  the  truth 
of  these  spiritual  companionships,  or  who  among  those  who 
believe  in  them  without  such  illuminated  testimony ;  and  who, 
I  ask,  has  offered  any  mechanical  or  material  or  reasonable  ex- 
planation of  these  heavenly  experiences? 

"  Telepathy,  as  it  is  now  called,  is  simply  the  name  for  such 
experiences  as  the  above,  which  are  now  becoming  more  com- 
mon— that  is  more  general — than  formerly. 

"  The  higher  attainments  of  the  exceptional  few  in  any  age, 
is  only  the  prophecy  of  what  will,  in  some  succeeding  age,  be 
'the  general  attainment  of  the  fairly  average  human  being. 

"  The  verbal  suggestion  of  the  operator  on  the  sensitive 
subject  has  long  been  acknowledged.  The  self-stiggcstion  of 
the  subject  is  nearly  as  well  acknowledged.  How  this  operates 
is  still  an  unsolved  mystery.  Why  some  can  effectually  suggest 
and  others  cannot;  why  some  will  be  influenced  by  the  sugges- 
tion and  others  not,  is  plausibly  explained  by  a  dominant  or 
weak  will,  a  sensitive  or  non-sensitive  organization,  all  of  which 
are  convenient  terms  for  artistically  veiling  our  real  ignorance. 
"  Mental  suggestion  by  the  operator  on  the  subject  when  in 
each  other's  presence,  is  freely  acknowledged  by  all  who  have 
given  the  subject  careful  attention. 


HYPNOTIC    MISCELLANIES.  177 

"That  some  operators  who  are  successful  in  verbal  sugges- 
tion are  not  so  in  merely  mental  suggestion,  or  that  some  sub- 
jects are  more  readily  responsive  to  such  mental  suggestion,  no 
more  impairs  the  facts  of  its  occurrence  than  the  parallel  facts, 
that  some  are  better  subjects  and  some  are  better  operators  than 
others. 

"  And  the  fact  that  purely  mental  suggestion  has  any  influence 
whatever,  takes  the  matter  out  of  the  domain  of  mechanism  and 
outside  of  the  ordinary  channels  of  sensual  communication,  and 
into  the  realm  of  mind  acting  on  mind,  by  means  other  than 
those  recognized  by  the  sensualist  or  the  materialist. 

"Those  who  deny  the  fact  of  such  mental  suggestion — the 
operator  and  subject  being  in  each  other's  visual  presence,  or 
near  each  other  but  not  looking  at  each  other,  or  neither  look- 
ing at  the  other — cannot  be  convinced  by  anything  I  can  say — 
they  simply  need  to  examine  the  subject.  Then  if  such  deniers 
have  any  faith  in  human  intelligence  and  integrity  they  may  be 
convinced.  If  they  have  no  faith  in  any  experience  \vhich  they 
cannot  duplicate,  then  the  probability  is  they  cannot  be  satisfied. 

"Now  operators  are  not  all  equally  effective,  and  are  not 
always  equally  so.  The  same  is  true  of  subjects.  The  simple 
facts,  however,  are  that  some  operators  can  and  do  influence 
some  subjects  at  a  distance ;  and  this  is  not  explained  on  any 
known  sensual  basis.  As  soon  as  this  is  admitted,  then  the 
question  of  distance — a  yard  or  a  rod,  a  furlong  or  a  mile,  a 
mile  or  a  thousand  miles,  is  not  a  question  of  theory,  but  of  fact. 

"And  the  facts  are  that  persons  who  are  not  operator  and 
subject,  in  any  such  sense  as  those  names  are  used  in  mesmeric 
and  hypnotic  connections,  can  and  do,  at  will,  communicate 
intelligently  with  each  other  telepathically. 

"  Now,  this  is  not  saying  that  they  can  at  any  time,  and  un- 
der all  circumstances,  communicate;  nor  that  their  communica- 
tions are  full  and  entirely  satisfactory.  They  do,  however,  at 
pre-arranged  times,  convey  and  receive  consciously  well-defined, 


178  HYPNOTIC     MISCELLANIES. 

intelligent  and  useful  communications.  There  are,  too,  certain 
persons — not  a  great  many,  however — who  can,  whenever  it  is 
desired,  call  certain  other  persons'  attention,  telepathically. 
This  is  frequently  done. 

"  Now,  all  this  is  not  abnormal,  in  the  sense  of  being  con- 
trary to  health,  intelligence  or  purity.  It  may  be  called  super- 
normal, in  the  sense  of  being  unusual.  It  is  abnormal  or  un- 
natural only  in  the  same  sense  that  the  ripe,  mellow,  toothsome 
apple  is  abnormal  or  unnatural  as  compared  with  the  seedling 
or  crab-apple.  Telepathy  may  have  an  imperfect  and  uncertain 
illustration — by  way  of  exception — in  a  nervous,  hysterical  or 
sickly  super-sensitive ;  but  fairly  reliable  and  fairly  satisfactory 
results  in  this  line  can  be  experienced  only  by  one  who  is  in  bound- 
ing health,  organically  and  functionally,  in  mental  harmony  and 
intellectual  clearness,  and  in  the  line  of  practical  good  will,  and 
the  consequent  state  of  moral  improvement. 

"  The  subject  of  telepathy,  which  properly  embraces  all 
methods  of  thought  transference  which  does  not  mainly  employ 
the  usual  mechanical  means  and  the  usual  appeal  to  the  senses, 
is  comparatively  a  new  study  which  promises  great  rewards  to 
the  patient  and  successful  student. 

"I  simply  desire  in  closing  to  say  that  those  who  deny  the 
possibility  or  fact  of  such  phenomena  as  those  referred  to  above 
are  in  good  company  with  those  who  attempt  to  explain 
the  phenomena  by  using  such  cheap  and  undefined  terms  as  un- 
conscious cerebration,  coincidence,  muscle  reading,  hallucination, 
insanity,  deception,  dreams,  delusion,  imaginative  projection, 
sympathetic  ideal-realization,  etc.  It  is  just  as  scientific 
and  consistent  to  apply  these  terms  to  the  phenomena  of  chem- 
istry, steam  and  electricity  as  to  those  of  telepathy." 


CHAPTER  XL 


NATURAL  SOMNAMBULISM   OR  SLEEP=WALK!NQ. 

This  interesting  and  perplexing  condition,  known  from  the 
olden  times,  into  which  numerous  people  of  all  ages,  but  gener- 
ally young  persons  during  seemingly  normal  sleep,  are  trans- 
ferred (often  without  themselves  ever  being  aware  of  it),  is, 
even  to-day,  an  unsolved  riddle.  We  have  no  certain  informa- 
tion which  throws  any  satisfactory  light  upon  the  source  and 
appearance  of  this  mystic  state.  I  was  myself  for  a  couple  of 
years,  during  my  boyhood,  frequently  under  somnambulistic 
influence.  I  have  been  since  this  condition  ceased  to  appear 
with  me,  an  earnest  and  constant  investigator  of  this  phenome- 
non. I  have  studied,  not  only  my  own  case,  but  everything  I 
could  find  having  connection  with  this  matter.  It  was  in  the 
commencement  of  my  twelfth  year  that  I  experienced  the  first 
symptoms  of  this  condition.  Afterwards  it  returned  frequently, 
though  with  monthly  intervals.  According  to  the  statement 
rendered  by  my  nearest  relatives,  the  somnambulistic  state  into 
which  I  went,  appeared  in  the  following  way  :  Immediately  after 
my  going  to  bed  (as  usual  by  10)  I  fell  into  a  very  sound  and 
deep  sleep,  during  which  I  would  remain  in  the  same  position  and 
perfectly  quiet.  From  one  to  two  hours  it  was  only  with  dif- 
ficulty that  the  sound  of  my  breathing  could  be  detected.  Then 
all  of  a  sudden  my  calm  and  restful  appearance  would  be  dis- 
turbed. I  started  to  turn  about  in  the  bed,  from  one  side  to 
another,  and  I  began  to  murmur — at  first  some  undistinguishable 
sentences.  Then  I  grew  more  eager  and  excited.  I  spoke 
louder,  until  at  last  every  word  could  be  clearly  understood. 
By  this  time  generally  I  would  slowly  raise  my  head  from  the 

179 


l8o          NATURAL    SOMNAMBULISM    OR    SLEEP-WALKING. 


A    SLEEP-WALKER. 


NATURAL    SOMNAMBULISM    OR    SLEEP-WALKING.  l8l 

pillow,  until  I  sat  up  in  the  bed.  Thus  I  would  remain  seated 
for  a  few  minutes,  looking  around  me  with  the  eyelids  partially 
closed,  half  bewildered,  half  surprised.  Then,  suddenly,  as  the 
result  of  some  firmly  taken  decision,  I  jumped  out  of  bed  and 
without  awaking  kept  myself  at  the  very  place  a  few  moments 
as  if  recollecting  or  planning  something,  which  as  soon  as  ac- 
cepted I  transferred  into  action.  In  general,  the  first  thing  I 
undertook  was  to  remove  an  easy-chair  which  usually  was 
placed  in  a  corner  of  the  sleeping  room.  In  a  very  slow  but 
careful  manner  I  wheeled  it  across  the  floor  toward  an  oak 
writing  table  at  which  my  school  books  were  placed.  When 
this  was  done  I,  with  a  certain  dignity,  took  a  seat  in  the  chair, 
and,  opening  my  books,  commenced  eagerly  and  interestingly 
to  peruse  all  my  lessons  for  the  next  school  day.  After  having 
spent  half  an  hour  to  an  hour  in  this  way  I  replaced  the 
chair  in  its  former  position  and  went  to  bed.  The  next  day  I 
had  not  the  slightest  recollection  of  my  nightly  undertakings. 
Usually  a  night  lamp  was  burning  in  the  sleeping  room,  yield- 
ing a  little  light  for  my  reading;  but  occasionally  when  the 
lamp  was  not  there  and  the  room  then  was  involved  in  com- 
plete darkness,  I  read,  apparently,  with  as  much  ease  as  in  the 
light.  My  brother,  who  was  sleeping  in  the  same  room,  was 
often  awakened  by  the  noise  that  I  caused,  and  observed  that 
my  eyes  were  either  closed  tight  or,  what  was  more  fre- 
quently the  case,  half  opened.  It  is  of  interest  to  remark  how 
greatly  developed  was  my  intellectual  ability  during  the  sleep, 
which  I  will  state  in  the  following  example  : 

At  the  school  I  had  a  great  desire  to  create  admiration  among 
my  school-mates  by  writing  poetry,  in  accomplishment  of  which  I 
earnestly  admit  that  I  failed  entirely.  The  outcome  of  my  great 
endeavors  was  always  unmistakably  poor.  The  rhymes,  at  which 
I  arrived  only  through  great  patience  and  persistence,  were  mean- 
ingless— the  whole  poem  being  absurd  when  finished.  Here  is 
where  the  point  comes  in.  I  have,  during  my  somnambulistic 


1&2  NATURAL    SOMNAMBULISM    OR    SLEEP-WALKING. 

condition  produced  poetry  which,  as  far  as  concerns  thought, 
style,  rhyme  and  elegance,  can  be  termed  comparatively  good 
poetry,  even  exposed  to  the  critic  of  our  modern  time.  I  have 
often  while  asleep  surprised  those  present  by  repeating  English 
or  French  sentences,  which  languages  I  at  the  time  spoken  of 
did  not  study.  The  solution  of  the  riddle  is  this:  One  night  I 
had  with  remarkable  exactness  repeated  a  lesson  which  had 
given  my  brother  a  good  deal  of  trouble  to  master,  and  as  I  had 
heard  him  go  over  this  during  the  day  time,  I  promptly  repeated 
it  during  my  unconscious  state.  I  did  this  not  only  with  gram- 
matical correctness,  but  with  a  true  imitation  of  my  brother's 
voice  and  attitudes.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  I  generally  recited 
some  fragments  without  connection ;  but  in  this  special  case  I 
certainly  must  have  followed  his  preparatory  exercises  with  a 
great  attention,  as  I  had  not  only  with  perfection  acquired  my 
brother's  way  of  pronounciation,  but  accompanied  my  repetition 
of  the  lesson  with  a  certain  attitude  of  the  left  hand  which  was 
identical  with  a  characteristic  movement  of  his  hand  whenever 
speaking  or  reciting.  This  caused  my  brother  so  much  amuse- 
ment that  he  by  loudly  applauding  forced  me  to  wake.  At 
other  times  I  sprang  out  of  bed  so  quickly  that  striking  the 
floor  hard  with  my  feet  caused  me  to  awake.  Hence  my  usual 
work  was  not  performed,  and  in  a  kind  of  surprise  I  crawled 
once  more  into  bed,  resuming  in  a  short  while  my  natural  sleep. 
Even  during  my  natural  sleep  I  often  spoke  and  readily 
answered  all  questions  directed  to  me,  especially  when  the  per- 
son with  whom  I  was  speaking  did  not  address  me  too  loudly, 
and  closely  followed  the  direction  of  my  thoughts. 

If  he  in  some  way  attempted  to  change  the  subject  of  con- 
versation I  would  wake.  Another  interesting  occurence  was 
this  :  One  night  my  brother  woke  up  during  a  very  clamorous 
speech  of  mine,  in  which  I  with  threatening  gestures  declared 
that  I  was  going  to  give  two  of  my  school-mates  a  regular 
licking,  because  they  had  hurt  my  partiality  of  good  feeling 


NATURAL    SOMNAMBULISM    OR    SLEEP-WALKING.  183 

and  kindness  toward  animals.  Not  only  had  they  teased  our 
dog  and  thrown  stones  at  it,  but  furthermore  plundered  a  bird's 
nest,  which  I  had  preserved  for  a  long  time  with  the  utmost 
care.  I  have  always  hud  an  extreme  fondness  for  animals,  and 
never  could  bear  to  see  anybody  commit  the  slightest  cruelty 
upon  them  without  reproaching  the  abuser  for  his  ill  conduct, 
and  in  some  cases  giving  him  a  severe  bodily  punishment  to 
revenge  my  little  friend.  Evidently  I  had  the  previous  day 
been  irritated  to  see  my  fondness  for  this  dog  offended  by  the 
boys.  I  therefore  vowed,  on  the  occasion,  to  treat  them  accord- 
ing to  their  behavior  as  soon  as  the  opportunity  appeared. 
This  intention  of  mine  had  occupied  my  last  thought  immedi- 
ately before  going  to  bed.  My  brother,  who  is  a  couple  of  years 
my  senior,  spoke  to  me,  and  yielding  as  usual  to  my  ideas,  he 
inquired  if  it  was  not  possible  this  time  to  forgive  those  boys, 
if  they  earnestly  promised  to  do  penance  and  be  good  in  the 
future.  "No,"  I  replied  eagerly,  "this  is  not  the  first  time 
these  things  have  occurred  and  I  am  bound  in  this  case  to  give 
them  a  square  beating  that  may  serve  others  as  a  warning 
example." 

My  parents  had  without  success  applied  several  means  by 
which  to  avert  my  nightly  wanderings.  Among  other  curious 
methods,  they  put  a  big  tub  with  cold  water  beside  my  bed,  so 
that  when  arising  in  mv  sonambulistic  state  I  should  jump  into 
the  water,  and  in  this  way  be  cured  of  my  habit.  But  with 
great  disappointment  my  parents  saw  me  move  down  to  the 
lower  end  of  my  bed  and  very  carefully  avoid  stepping  into 
the  tub.  This  attempt  proved  altogether  fruitless.  The  means 
from  which  I  derived  my  cure  was  very  remarkable.  The 
main  thing  was  that  my  brother  as  soon  as  I,  during  my  sleep, 
became  unrestful  and  commenced  to  speak  loudly,  acceded  to 
all  my  ideas  until  I  promptly  and  correctly  answered  all  his 
questions.  Then  he  in  a  cunning  way  managed  to  change  the 
conversation  into  the  direction  of  reminding  me  of  my  promise, 


184         NATURAL    SOMNAMBULISM    OR    SLEEP-WALKING. 


A    SLEEP-WALKER     CAREFULLY    AVOIDING     THE    WATER-TUB 
PLACED    AT    HIS    BEDSIDE. 


NATURAL    SOMNAMBULISM    OR    SLEEP-WALKING.  185 

the  day  previous,  according  to  which  I  was  determined  to  com- 
pletely abandon  my  sleep  walking.  He  emphasized  that  I,  in 
this  special  case,  would  have  to  show  great  will  power  and 
energy.  I  promised  this,  and  remained  that  night  quietly  sleep- 
ing in  my  bed.  This  method  was  continued  during  several 
successive  nights  with  wonderful  success.  I  remained  in  bed 
undisturbed.  At  the  same  time  I  drank  every  night  a  cup  of 
elder  tea,  which  is  noted  to  have  calming  influence  on  the  sleep. 
This  advice  was  given  to  my  parents  by  an  old  quack  very 
widely  known  for  the  wonderful  cures  he  performed.  He  further- 
more informed  them  that  a  talk  with  the  sleeper  in  such  case 
was  necessary,  and  that  if  this,  on  account  of  unwillingness  on 
the  part  of  the  sleeper,  was  not  to  be  obtained,  it  was  easily  pro- 
duced by  a  slight  pressure  on  the  toe  of  the  sleeper's  left  foot 
by  the  operator's  first  and  second  finger  of  the  left  hand.  This 
was  duly  affirmed,  as  my  brother  successfully  tried  the  experi- 
ment on  me  several  times  during  the  period  of  my  recovery 
from  the  somnambulistic  condition. 

I  have  myself  merely  for  curiosity  during  my  practice  ap- 
plied this  experiment,  always  with  the  permission  of  the  party 
concerned.  A  very  remarkable  incident  which  I  will  not  for- 
get to  narrate  is  this :  I  was  often  seen  standing  asleep  at  the 
window,  eagerly  staring  at  the  moon  with  a  fixed  interest, 
while  I  was  in  complete  darkness  with  the  shades  all  down.  I 
was  frequently  observed  standing  motionless  for  a  long  time  in 
the  center  of  the  room,  with  the  head  bent  slightly  backward  as 
if  beholding  something — or  with  a  close  attention  seeking  a  cer- 
tain object.  It  was  proved  later  on  that  it  was  the  moon  which 
influenced  me  to  a  certain  degree  a  least ;  that  I  meant  to  see 
the  moon  is  evident,  although  I  was  myself  unconscious  of  the 
fact  as  well  as  ignorant  of  its  position  at  the  time  of  my  observa- 
tion, for  my  eyes  were  always  fixed  in  this  direction  of  the 
firmament.  In  connection  with  this  I  will  state  that  somnam- 
bulism usually  appeared  during  the  season  of  full-moon.  I 


1 86          NATURAL    SOMNAMBULISM    OR    SLEEP-WALKING. 

have  thus  briefly  spoken  of  my  boyhood  experience  as  a  som- 
nambulist, of  which,  in  later  years,  I  have  found  no  sign  of  re- 
turning. I  have  done  this,  of  course,  with  reservation  and 
omittance  of  details  from  which  no  special  interest  could  be 
derived. 

During  my  fifteen  years  of  practice  as  a  hypnotist,  I  have 
succeeded  in  completely  curing  several  hundred  individuals  from 
this  peculiar  mental  condition.  The  method  of  my  treatment 
has  been  to  produce  artificial  somnambulism — so-called  "hyp- 
notism" — and  by  the  aid  of  suggestion,  cause  the  natural  som- 
nambulism to  disappear.  It  is  not  my  intention — on  this  occa- 
tion — to  proceed  any  further  on  the  question,  as  I  have  in  a 
preceding  chapter  on  "hypnotism,  somnambulism  and  sugges- 
tion" clearly  expressed  my  views  concerning  this  matter. 

That  same  old  quack,  who  rendered  the  above  mentioned 
advice,  showed  himself  to  be  considerably  ahead  of  his  time,  as 
he  had  an  excellent  understanding  of  the  theory  of  "  suggestion." 

THE    DIFFERENT    STATES    OF    SOMNAMBULISM    AND    THE 
PHENOMENA    IN    RELATION    THERETO. 

As  the  reader  will  notice,  we  have  several  specimens  of 
somnambulists  among  which  to  distinguish.  I  will  name  first 
the  artificial  somnambulists  (hypnotized  individuals).  Persons, 
who  according  to  their  own  will,  through  the  hypnotizer's  opera- 
tion are  thrown  into  this  peculiar  condition,  we  call  artificial 
somnambulists.  The  natural  or  spontaneous  somnambulist  is 
one  who,  without  himself  knowing  it,  and  even  against  desire, 
is  at  times  in  a  somnambulistic  condition,  by  an  influence  un- 
known to  us.  Within  this  class  of  natural  somnambulists  come 
moon-sick,  sleep-walkers  and  sleep-talkers  ;  these  last  are  not  as 
rare  as  is  generally  believed,  because  nearly  all  children  of  both 
sexes  are  during  the  period  of  sexual  development  found  to  be 
more  or  less  somnambulistic.  It  is  often  in  the  season  of  full 
moon  observed  how  people  being  in  perfect  health,  suddenly 


NATURAL    SOMNAMBULISM    OK    SLEEP-W  ALKIXG.  187 

during  sleep,  have  arisen,  spoken,  sung  or  cried.  They  go  out 
of  bed  and  walk  about  the  room,  and  the  next  morning  when 
a.wake,  they  are  completely  ignorant  of  what  has  passed  during 
the  night.  As  we  can  regard  somnambulism  as  a  higher  and 
stronger  form  of  the  hypnotic  state,  it  seems  strange  that  the 
highest  degree  of  somnambulism  is  the  waking  sleep,  with  this 
kind  of  somnambulists  appears  immediately,  while  the  develop- 
ment through  artificial  hypnotizing,  without  exception  leads  from 
the  lower  degrees  upward,  reaching  at  last  the  waking  sleep. 
We  can  only  explain  these  phenomena  through  this  circumstance, 
that  spontaneous  somnambulism  very  seldom  appears  with  in- 
dividuals when  they  are  awake ;  but  always  at  times  when 
these  are  under  influence  of  the  normal  sleep,  and  therefore  the 
above  named  lower  degrees  of  the  hypnotic  sleep  or  condition 
on  account  of  the  normal  sleep  do  not  manifest  themselves  in 
such  a  way  that  they  can  be  made  subjects  for  observation. 
For  the  evidence  and  correctness  of  this  conjecture  may  be 
proven  by  addressing  the  sleepers  in  a  low  voice  or  by  a  fixed 
gaze  when  they  will  come  into  a  state  of  clairvoyance,  if  they 
are  in  some  degree  disposed  to  somnambulism.  Many  such 
people  cannot  at  all  endure  this  direct  gazing,  but  attempt  in 
many  ways  to  avoid  it  by  turning  the  face  away  while  the  sleep 
is  continued  uninterrupted.  It  is  very  frequently  the  case  that 
they  after  awakening  will  have  a  recollection  of  some  dreams, 
during  which  a  person  stepped  up  to  the  bedside  looking  inten- 
sively at  them  or  speaking  with  them.  A  recollection  like  this 
will  never  present  itself  after  the  normal  sleep,  neither  will  it 
do  so  after  the  higher  states  of  somnambulism,  but  result  after 
that  condition  only,  which  the  lowest  degree  of  hypnosis  pro- 
duces on  the  individual.  The  exact  influence  that  causes  the 
development  of  somnambulism  has  never  been  thoroughly  veri- 
fied, but  we  have  good  reason  to  believe  that  the  moon  plavs  an 
active  part.  At  least  several  generally  acknowledged  facts  speak 
to  this  effect,  and  it  is  certain  that  most  cases  of  spontaneous 


NATURAL    SOMNAMBULISM    OR    SLEEP-WALKING. 


DREAMING    ABOUT    THE    MOON. 


NATURAL    SOMNAMBULISM    OR    SLEEP- WALKING.  189 

somnambulism  appear  during  full  moon,  and  that  sleepwalkers 
even  if  they  be  present  in  an  absolutely  dark  room,  where  not 
the  slightest  moonlight  could  visit  them,  always  seem  to  be 
quite  sure  of  the  position  of  the  moon,  as  they  constantly  turn 
their  faces  toward  this,  and  finally,  that  such  persons  always 
seek  to  avoid  everything  that  prevents  them  staring  at  the  moon, 
and  appear  anxious  to  shorten  the  distance  between  it  and  them- 
selves by  ascending  houses,  towers,  etc.,  and  remaining  there 
until  the  moon  commences  to  go  down.  On  account  of  this 
we  can  draw  the  conclusion  that  there  is  between  the  moon 
and  the  natural  somnambulistic  individual  some  relation — be  it 
that  the  constant  gaze  at  the  moon  to  which  especially  voung 
people  are  devoted,  particularly  women,  has  a  kind  of  a  hypno- 
tizing influence  as  has  the  eyes  of  the  hypnotizer  or  the  shining 
crystal-prism  applied  at  hvpnotic  experiments.  While  younger 
I  have  often  heard  at  my  home  in  Denmark,  a  joke  referring  to 
the  ladies  sitting  at  the  open  window  before  going  to  bed,  to 
look  at  the  moon — that  they  need  not  trouble  themselves  as  the 
moon  had  no  male  population. 

Our  beloved  Longfellow  associates  the  moon  with  senti- 
ment, sleep  and  dreams,  as  follows: 

Moon  of  the  summer  night! 

Far  down  von  western  steep 
Sink,  sink  in  silver  light! 

She  sleeps,  my  lady  sleeps! 
Sleeps! 

Dreams  of  the  summer  night 

Tell  her  her  lover  keeps 
Watch  while  in  slumbers  light 

She  sleeps,  my  lady  sleeps! 
Sleeps! 

It  is  well  known  that  particular  positions  of  the  moon  in 
respect  to  the  earth,  are  accompanied  with  marked  effects  upon 
somnambulists,  cataleptics,  and  persons  disposed  to  insanity  (  \V. 
Fishbough);  audit  has  from  time  immemorial  been  believed 


190 


NATURAL    SOMNAMBULISM    Oil    SLEEP-WALKING. 


NATURAL    SOMNAMBULISM    OR    SLEEP-WALKING.  T.o,I 

that  certain  lunar  positions  have  also  a  decided  influence  upon 
the  vegetable  and  animal  kingdoms.  During  eclipses  of  the 
sun,  when  the  moon  has  been  directly  between  that  luminary 
and  the  earth,  hungry  animals  have  been  observed  to  suddenly 
cease  eating  and  become  apparently  sad  and  dejected  ;  and  when 


IN  ECSTACY BELIEVING  THEMSELVES  FLYING  THROUGH  THE 

AIR  ON   BROOMSTICKS  AND  HAVING  COMMUNI- 
CATIONS WITH  SATAN. 

eclipses  have  been  total,  birds  have  sometimes  been  known  to 
fall  dead  from  their  perches.  Now,  neither  of  these  effects  can 
be  supposed  to  result  from  any  modification  of  the  force  of 
gravitation  as  owing  to  the  relative  positions  in  such  cases  of 


192  NATURAL    SOMNAMBULISM    OR    SLEEP-WALKING. 

the  earth,  moon  and  sun.  But  if  we  suppose,  as  above,  that  the 
earth  and  moon  are  enveloped  in  a  common  "odic"  sphere  of  a 
nervoid  and  semi-vital  character,  and  that  in  this  change  in  its 
polar  relations  and  consequent  qualities  of  influence  upon  living 
organisms,  with  every  change  of  relative  position  of  the  earth, 
moon  and  sun,  we  have  an  easy  solution  of  the  phenomena  in 
question.  The  supposition  of  such  a  change  of  influence  would 
seem  to  be  countenanced  by  the  results  of  Reichenbach's 
experiments. 

IDIO-SOMNAMBULISM. 

The  witches  of  the  middle  ages,  whom  we  must  regard  as 
entirely  idio-somnambulistic  persons,  anointed  their  bodies 
with  different  kinds  of  salves,  which  contained  narcotic  elements ; 
and  they  were  by  the  alcoloid  influence  on  the  blood,  or  by  phy- 
sical actions,  thrown  into  a  somnambulistic  hypnotic  condition. 

To  Auto-Somnambulism  belongs  much  that  is  usually  called 
evil  spells  and  diabolism  ;  and  the  Vouclooism  of  the  Africans, 
Kanakas  and  Southern  negroes  must  be  largely  dependent 
upon  earnest,  though  unrecognized  self-suggestions,  induced  by 
mysterious  rites  and  frenzied  excitation. 

Goethe  needs  only  this  explanation  to  be  fully  understood  in 
the  following  from  Faust : 

Chorus  of  Witches: 

The  stubble  is  yellow,  the  corn  is  green, 

Now  to  the  Brocken  the  witches  go, 
The  nightly  multitude  here  may  be  seen 

Gathering,  wizard  and  witch,  below. 
Sir  Urian  is  sitting  aloft  in  the  air; 

Hey  over  stock!  and  hey  over  stone! 
'Twixt  witches  and  incubi,  what  shall  be  done? 

Tell  it  who  dare!  tell  it  who  dare! 

A  voice: 

Upon  a  sow-swine,  whose  farrows  were  nine, 
Old  Baubo  rideth  alone. 


NATURAL    SOMNAMBULISM    OR    SLEEP-WALKING.  193 

Chorus : 

Honor  her  to  whom  honor  is  due: 

Old  Mother  Baubo,  honor  to  you! 
An  able  sow,  with  old  Baubo  upon  her, 

Is  worthy  of  glory,  and  worthy  of  honor! 
The  legion  of  witches  is  coming  behind, 

Dark'ning  the  night,  and  outspeeding  the  wind. 

A  voice: 

Which  way  comest  thou? 

A  voice: 

Over  Ilsenstein. 
The  owl  was  awake  in  the  white  moonshine: 

I  saw  her  at  rest  in  her  downy  nest, 
And  she  stared  at  me  with  her  broad,  bright  eye. 


Voices  : 

And  you  may  now  as  well  take  your  course  on  to  hell,, 
Since  you  ride  by  so  fast  on  the  headlong  blast. 

A  voice: 

She  dropped  poison  upon  me  as  I  passed. 
Here  are  the  wounds 

Chorus  of  witches: 

Come  away!  come  along! 
The  way  is  wide,  the  way  is  long, 

But  what  is  that  for  a  bedlam  throng? 
Stick  with  the  prong,  and  scratch  with  the  broom; 

The  child  in  the  cradle  lies  strangled  at  home, 
And  the  mother  is  clapping  her  hands. 


194          NATURAL    SOMNAMBULISM    OR    SLEEP-WALKING. 

Semi-chorus  "wizards  I : 

We  glide  in 

Like  snails,  when  the  women  are  all  away; 
And  from  a  house  once  given  over  to  sin 
Women  has  a  thousand  steps  to  stray. 

Seini-ihorus  II : 

A  thousand  steps  must  a  woman  take, 

When  a  man  but  a  single  spring  will  make. 

Voices  a  bore : 

Come  with  us,  come  with  us,  from  Felunsee. 


Voices  belcnv: 

With  what  joy  would  we  flv  through  the  upper  sky! 
We  are  washed,  we  are  'nointed,  stark  naked  are  we: 
But  our  toil  and  our  pain  are  forever  in  vain. 

Both  choruses: 

The  wind  is  still,  the  stars  are  fled, 

The  melancholy  moon  is  dead, 
The  magic  notes,  like  spark  on  spark, 
Drizzle,  whistling  through  the  dark. 
Come  away ! 

Voices  bclo-v: 

Stay,  O,  stay! 
Voices  alwrc : 

Out  of  the  crannies  of  the  rocks 

Who  calls? 

Voice  belo-v  : 

O,  let  me  join  your  flocks! 
I  three  hundred  vears  have  striven 


NATURAL    SOMNAMBULISM    OR    SLEEP-WALKING.  195 

To  catch  your  skirt  and  mount  to  heaven 
With  company  akin  to  me! 

Both  choruses: 

Some  on  a  ram  and  some  on  a  prong, 

On  poles  and  on  broomsticks,  we  flutter  along; 
Forlorn  is  the  wight  who  can  rise  not  to-night. 

A  half--vitch  below: 

I  have  been  tripping  this  many  an  hour; 

Are  the  others  alreadv  so  far  before? 
No  quiet  at  home,  and  no  peace  abroad! 
And  less,  methinks,  is  found  by  the  road. 

Chorus  of  witches: 

Come  onward  away!  anoint  thee,  anoint! 

A  witch,  to  be  strong,  must  anoint  —  anoint, — 
Then  everv  bough  will  be  boat  enough, 

With  a  rag  for  a  sail  we  can  sweep  through  the  sky. 
Who  flies  not  to-night,  when  means  he  to  fly? 

Both  choruses: 

We  cling  to  the  skirt,  and  we  strike  on  the  ground; 

Witch-legions  thicken  around  and  around; 
Wizard-swarms  cover  the  heath  all  over. 

[  They  descend.] 

When  we  trace  history  back  to  the  olden  times,  and 
draw  the  remains  from  the  past  ages  out  of  their  obscurity,  we 
encounter  several  things,  which  for  the  sake  of  their  curiosity, 
put  Egypt,  Lybia,  Greece  and  ancient  Rome  into  consterna- 
tion, and  likewise  has  arrested  the  attention  of  later  centuries. 
In  this  way  has  been  established  among  the  public  as  eternal 
truths  which,  with  a  sacred  esteem,  regarded  oracles  —  sages  of 
a  Delphian  Apollo  —  a  dodonish  Jupiter,  a  Trophonius  from 
Boeotia  and  different  other  sibyllis.  Pythia  sitting  on  a  tripod 
outside  the  Delphian  cavern  was  driven  into  an  agitated  ec- 
stasy by  the  mephitic  vapors  arising  from  the  tripod.  This 
was  but  a  plain  magnetic  condition  created  by  the  priests  (who 
were  well  versed  in  the  medical  profession),  either  by  inhalation 


196          NATURAL    SOMNAMBULISM    OR     SLEEP-WALKING. 

of  vapors  or  incenses,  by  certain  manipulations  performed  by 
the  priests,  or  by  bodily  exercises  in  connection  with  several 
drugs  for  internal  use,  so-called  charmed  potions,  or  by  rubbing 
the  body  with  narcotic  salves.  The  ecstasy  produced  in  this  way 
had  different  aspects.  Sometimes  the  person  was  very  weak, 
almost  unconscious,  at  other  times  very  noisy,  and  acted  with 
the  greatest  vehemence.  During  this  last  condition  the  priest- 
ess rushed  in  a  circle  around  the  fuming  tripod,  her  mouth 
foaming,  tearing  her  hair  and  flesh,  showing  in  all  her  attitudes 
insanity  and  rage. 

THE    ORACLE    IN    THE    DELPHIAN    CAVERN. THE    DIFFERENT 

PREPARATIONS  USED PARTLY  FROM  AN  ANCIENT  AUTHOR. 

Great  preparations  were  made  for  giving  mysteriousness  to 
the  oracle,  and  for  commanding  the  respect  paid  to  it.  Among 
other  circumstances  relating  to  the  sacrifices  that  were  offered, 
we  may  observe  that  the  priestess  herself  fasted  three  days,  and 
before  she  ascended  the  tripod  she  bathed  herself  in  the  foun- 
tain of  Castalia.  She  drank  water  from  that  fountain  and 
chewed  laurel  leaves  gathered  near  it.  She  was  led  into  the 
sanctuary  by  the  priests,  who  placed  her  upon  the  tripod.  As  soon 
as  she  began  to  be  agitated  by  the  divine  exhalations,  her  hair 
stood  on  end,  her  aspect  became  wrild  and  ghostly,  her  mouth 
began  to  foam,  and  her  whole  body  was  suddenly  seized  with 
violent  tremblings.  In  this  condition  she  attempted  to  escape 
from  the  prophets,  who  detained  her  by  force,  while  her  shrieks 
and  bowlings  made  the  whole  cavern  resound,  and  filled  the 
bystanders  with  sacred  horror.  At  length,  unable  to  resist  the 
impulse  of  the  god,  she  surrendered  herself  to  him,  and  at  cer- 
tain intervals  uttered  from  the  bottom  of  her  stomach  some 
unconnected  words,  which  the  prophets  arranged  in  order,  and 
put  in  form  of  verse — giving  them  a  connection  which  they  had 
not  when  they  were  delivered  by  the  priestess.  "  The  oracle 
being  pronounced,  she  was  taken  off  the  tripod,  and  conducted 


NATURAL    SOMNAMBULISM    OR    SLEEP-WALKING.  197 


PYTHIA,    THE    DELPHIAN     ORACLE,    SEATED     ON     THE     TRIPOD 
OVER    THE    SACRED    CAVERN. 


198          NATURAL    SOMNAMBULISM    OK    SLEEP-WALKING. 

back  to  her  cell,  where  she  continued  several  days  to  recover 
herself  from  her  conflict." 

Such  effects  were  in  those  times  considered  necessary,  par- 
ticularly so  in  the  case  of  the  priestess.  It  was  of  the  greatest 
importance  to  give  a  mysterious  appearance  to  the  oracle,  for 
the  purpose  of  commanding  feeling  and  respect  from  the  "by- 
standers with  sacred  horror." 

NITROUS  OXIDE THE  EFFECTS  OF  ITS  INHALATION. 

Coretus  who  it  is  said  first  discovered  nitrous  oxide's  effects 
upon  goats  speaks  thus :  Prompted  by  curiosity  he  also  ap- 
proached the  mouth  of  the  cavern,  and  found  himself  seized 
with  a  like  fit  of  madness  "  skipping,  dancing,  foretelling 
things  to  come."  But  as  we  have  no  evidence  upon  which  we 
can  depend,  this  skipping,  etc.,  being  natural  to  goats  and  not 
agreeing  with  its  effects  upon  the  priestess,  we  may  think  of  it 
as  we  would  of  all  other  things  that  have  been  said  about  it,  of 
which  the  following  is  a  specimen  :  "This  place,"  speaking  of 
the  cavern,  "  was  treated  with  a  singular  veneration,  and  it  was 
soon  covered  with  a  kind  of  chapel,  which  Pausanius  tells  us 
was  originally  made  of  laurel  boughs,  and  resembled  a  large 
hut.  This,  says  the  Phalian  tradition,  was  surrounded  by  one 
of  wrax,  and  raised  by  the  bees." 

THE      DIFFERENT     STATES     OR     DEGREES     OF     SOMNAMBULISM 
IN  CONNECTION   WITH    THOSE  OF  THE    NATURAL  SLEEP. 

So  far  my  investigations  have  shown  that  we  can  with  the 
same  authority  divide  these  in  the  following  way:  Human  life 
undergoes  a  process  of  development  and  falls  into  three  chief 
periods  before  it  reaches  its  degree  of  culmination;  and  we  ob- 
serve in  the  awake  condition  of  man  a  gradually  ascending 
development  from  morning  until  noon,  and  later  toward  even- 
ing a  descending,  resulting  at  last  in  sleep.  In  the  same  way 
the  nightly  condition  has  a  gradual  development  of  a  similar 
character.  One  and  the  same  typical  law  rules  not  only  the 


NATURAL    SOMNAMBULISM    OR     SLEEP-WALKING.  199 

development  of  human  life  in  general,  but  also  rules  man's  con- 
dition \vhen  awake  and  the  nightly  state  of  the  somnambulist. 

From  the  special  degrees  I  will  name  the  following  : 

The  animal  degree. — The  somnambulism  entering  and  act- 
ing on  the  animal  system. 

The  sensitive  degree. — Somnambulism  entering  and  acting 
on  the  sensitive  system. 

The  culmination  of  somnambulism — complete  night  condi- 
tion.— The  deepest  sleep  about  midnight. 

The  crisis — The  change  from  night  into  day  condition. 

The  Jinal  part  of  somnambulism — awaking. 

The  -vegetative  system. — The  phenomena  are  noted  upon 
entrance  of  the  day  condition. 

Complete  day  condition — awaking. 

In  order  to  return  to  the  different  kinds  of  somnambulism 
I  will  state,  that  besides  spontaneous  somnambtdism,  idio- 
somnambnlism  and  artificial  sonuiambulism,  I  have  observed 
another  class  of  somnambulists,  namely  :  hysteric  and  epileptic 
somnambulists,  who,  during  certain  periods,  from  one  or  an- 
other bodily  or  spiritual  cause,  came  under  the  influence  of  nat- 
ural somnambulism.  It  is  not  onlv  in  the  night-time  during  the 
natural  sleep  lhat  these  individuals  relapse  into  this  condition  ; 
but  even  in  the  day-time  they  may  be  met  in  somnambulistic 
states,  in  which  they  may  continue  days,  weeks,  months — even 
years — without  giving  their  associates  the  least  suspicion  thereof. 

I  have  heard  and  read  much  of  such  strange  cases.  I  have 
even  met  with  a  few,  which  I  have  studied  with  the  greatest  in- 
terest. It  is  remarkable  that  in  general  it  is  persons  with  dark 
complexion  and  a  rich  growth  of  hair,  but  with  little  beard,  and 
people  of  p;ile  and  fair  complexion,  with  the  pupils  of  the  eyes 
very  dilated,  who  come  under  this  condition.  We  can  be  con- 
vinced as  to  their  condition  by  holding  a  lighted  match  close  to 
the  eyes  of  these  persons ;  \ve  will  then,  as  in  certain  degrees 
of  the  hypnosis,  note  only  a  slight  contraction  of  the  pupil. 


2OO          NATURAL    SOMNAMBULISM    OR    SLEEP-WALKING. 

These  somnambulists  usually  sleep  with  open  eyes,  resting  on 
their  back  ;  and  they  snore  much.  This  often  leaves  a  disa- 
greeable impression  upon  the  stranger  who  happens  to  witness 
it  for  the  first  time.  The  pupils  are  unnaturally  dilated,  and  the 
eyelids  wide  open.  No  winking  or  nervous  drawing  together, 
or  movements  of  the  eyelids,  betray  that  the  person  is  alive. 
The  expression  of  the  eye  is  that  of  the  death-stare.  Like  the 
somnambulistic  attacks  of  these  last  somnambulists  their  actions 
during  the  sleep  are  uncalculable.  We  must  recollect  that  we 
have  to  do  here  with  a  special  suffering;  and  in  many  cases  we 
must  consider  severely  attacked  hysterics  and  epileptics  as  a 
mild  form  of  insanity.  We  also  know  how  honestly  and  ami- 
ably they  will  naturally  act;  and  that  they  at  other  times  are  so 
unexpectedlv  irritable  and  distrustful — and  also  easilv  influenced, 
or  exhibit  even  stranger  character.  Unfortunately  when  they  fall 
in  line  with  bad  associates,  they  have  no  power  of  resistance. 
Just  as  uncalculable  as  they  are  when  awake,  so  they  are  during 
the  somnambulistic  condition.  As  a  rule  dreams  in  the  night- 
time are  of  those  objects  on  which  thought  is  most  bent  during 
the  day.  If  persons  during  sleep  speak  loudly,  we  may  be  sure 
it  is  of  matters  which,  during  the  daytime,  puzzled  their  minds. 
If  a  person  is  a  sleep-walker,  he  performs  while  asleep  actions 
similar  to  those  which  occupies  him  in  the  daytime.  We  can, 
therefore,  with  perfect  right,  in  general,  proceed  from  this  fact, 
that  a  person  who  during  sleep  makes  an  assault  on  somebody's 
life,  thereby  signifies  and  reveals  the  secret  thoughts  of  his  day- 
life.  This  is  generally  the  case  with  apparently  strong  and 
healthy  persons  as  far  as  the  body  and  soul  are  concerned,  whom 
we  do  not  suspect  as  suffering  from  advancing  insanity,  hys- 
teria or  epilepsy.  With  persons  suffering  from  these  mental 
disorders  we  could  very  soon,  during  their  sleep,  become  aware 
of  things  which  would  stamp  them  very  badly,  if  we  believed 
everything  said  or  done  by  them  during  their  sleep,  to  be  a  sig- 
nification of  their  true  character.  Such  sufferers  could  by  no 


NATURAL    SOMNAMBULISM    OR    SLEEP-WALKING.  2OI 


SOMNAMBULIST PLAYING   \V111LK  AsLKEP. 


2O2          NATURAL    SOM  N  AM  HULISM    OK    SLEEP-WALKING. 

means  be  held  responsible  for  their  actions  whether  in  awake  or 
sleeping  condition.  We  all  know  about  the  silly  ideas  they  are 
yielding  to ;  they  are  easily  scared,  eyen  when  dreaming  ;  they 
become  confused ;  their  thoughts  are  deranged ;  they  scream 
aloud  during  their  sleep,  and  belieye  themselyes  attacked  by 
wild  beasts  or  horrible  monsters.  Contrary  to  this,  the  normal 
sleep-walker  goes  about  carefully,  in  pleasant  dreams  and 
seems  to  throw  an  air  of  scientific  interest  into  the  task  he  per- 
forms. During  this  condition  his  intellect  and  sense  is  consider- 
ably increased ;  while  on  the  contrary  it  is  removed  to  a  far 
lower  step  with  the  other  kind  of  somnambulists  during  the  nor- 
mal sleep.  It  is,  therefore,  natural  that  a  person  who  has  com- 
mitted some  bad  action  during  his  sleep,  can  not  be  altogether 
excused  as  he  has,  what  numerous  observations  clearly  show, 
only  brought  into  action  that  which  occupied  his  mind  the  pre- 
vious day.  The  individual  whose  thoughts  and  conduct  are 
conscienciously  in  conformity  with  the  laws  of  society  will  not 
act  against  these  laws  while  asleep.  On  the  contrary,  that  per- 
son who  only  thinks  of  crime  or  revenge,  will  reveal  during  his 
sleep  all  his  evil  inclinations,  which  he,  in  awake  condition,  was 
forced  to  keep  back  —  considering  the  surroundings.  (In  the 
same  way  will  the  drunkard,  in  almost  every  case,  during  his 
intoxication,  show  his  real  character;  his  cautiousness  is  aban- 
doned.) If  a  person  commits  a  crime  while  asleep  and  the  rec- 
ord of  his  past  life  causes  suspicion,  then  it  seems  to  me  we  can 
in  most  cases  consider  this  crime  a  natural  result  of  his  bad  char- 
acter, and  we  may  be  so  much  more  at  liberty  in  doing  so  as  it 
is  committed  without  any  restraining  power  or  influence.  Be- 
ing far  from  considering  these  actions  resulting  from  fantastic 
ravings,  I  will  place  them  among  the  most  independent  in  hu- 
man life.  I  am  viewing  somnambulism  as  it  is  in  general,  a 
higher,  ennobling  condition,  with  a  refinement  of  feeling  and 
character.  The  composer  creates  better  music  while  asleep. 
The  good  person  is  through  all  his  actions  equally  good,  even 


NATURAL    SOMNAMBULISM    OR    SLEEP-TALKING.  203 

better,  while  asleep  than  he  is  when  awake.  This  is  particularly 
proven  by  what  we  know  has  been  accomplished  by  men  of 
prominence  during  their  sleep.  As  I  have  formerly  remarked 
these  cases  do  not  refer  to  the  hypnotic  or  epileptic  somnambu- 
list or  others,  whose  mental  balance  is  disturbed,  whether  this 
be  due  to  the  suffering  of  periodical  insanity  with  hallucinations 
or  to  the  srhastlv  nierhtmare. 


SOMNAMBULIST — A  JUDGE  TRIES  A   CASE   WHILE   ASLEEP. 

To  illustrate  these  conclusions  of  mine,  I  iviJl  give  the  fol- 
io-wing examples: 

It  has  frequently  happened  that  studious  men  have  done 
really  hard  mental  work  while  asleep.  A  stanza  of  excellent 
verse  is  in  print  which  Sir  John  Herschell  is  said  to  have  com- 
posed while  asleep,  and  to  have  remembered  when  he  awoke. 
Goethe  often  set  down  on  paper  the  day  thoughts  and  ideas 


204          NATURAL    SOMNAMBULISM    OR    SLEEP-WALKING. 

which  had  presented  themselves  to  him  during  the  preceding 
night.  A  gentleman  one  night  dreamt  that  he  was  playing  an 
entirely  new  game  of  cards  with  three  friends.  When  he 
awoke,  the  structure  and  rules  of  the  new  game,  as  created  in 
the  dream,  came  one  by  one  into  his  memory,  and  he  found 
them  so  ingenious  that  he  afterwards  frequently  played  the  game. 
A  case  is  cited  where  a  gentleman  in  his  sleep  composed  an  ode 
in  six  stanzas,  and  set  it  to  music.  Tartini,  the  celebrated 
Italian  vocalist,  composed  the  "  Devil's  Sonata,"  in  a  dream. 
Lord  Thurlow,  when  a  youth  at  college,  found  himself  one 
evening  unable  to  finish  a  piece  of  Latin  composition  which  he 
had  undertaken.  He  went  to  bed  full  of  the  subject,  fell  asleep, 
finished  his  composition  in  a  dream,  remembered  it  next  morn- 
ing, and  was  complimented  on  the  felicitous  form  which  it 
presented.  A  remarkable  case  is  given  by  Weinholt.  A  musi- 
cal student  was  in  the  habit  of  rising  in  the  middle  of  the  night, 
and  going  to  the  piano,  would  arrange  his  music  and  sit  down 
and  play  correctly  the  piece  before  him.  As  showing  the  acute 
intelligence  which  existed  in  him  during  this  sleeping  state, 
some  of  his  fellow  students  one  night  watched  him,  and  sud- 
denly turned  the  music  upside  down.  The  sleeper,  however, 
detected  it,  quietly  restored  the  sheet  to  its  proper  position,  and 
went  on  playing.  On  another  occasion,  one  of  the  strings  of 
the  instrument  being  out  of  tune,  the  discordant  note  so  jarred 
upon  his  sensibilities  that  he  stopped  playing,  took  down  the 
front  of  the  piano  and  tuned  the  offending  string  before  con- 
tinuing his  practice.  Another  student  was  accustomed  to  trans- 
late passages  from  Italian  into  French  during  his  sleep.  He 
used  a  dictionary  and  was  most  assiduous  and  correct  in  his 
search  after  the  words  needed.  Touching  the  sense  of  sight, 
which  is  brought  into  play  during  such  sleep  efforts,  a  remark- 
able case  is  recorded  of  a  young  lady,  who  would  rise  from  her 
bed  and  write  intelligently  and  legibly  in  complete  darkness. 
The  most  curious  feature  in  connection  with  her  efforts,  was 


NATURAL    SOMNAMBULISM    OR    SLEEP-WALKING.  205 

that  if  the  least  light  was  admitted  into  her  room,  she  was 
unable  to  continue.  A  ray  from  the  moon,  passing  in  at  her 
window',  was  sufficient  to  disturb  her.  She  could  only  continue 
as  long  as  she  was  enveloped  in  perfect  darkness.  Xot  content 
with  doing  their  duty  throughout  the  day,  and  when  they  are 
awake,  there  seems  to  be  some  people  who  are  not  satisfied 
unless  they  keep  themselves  employed  while  they  are  asleep. 
Not  infrequently  individuals  have  projected  and  carried  to  a 
successful  issue,  projects  which  they  were  quite  incapable  of 
attempting  when  awake.  No  doubt  because  they  couldn't  even 
if  they  wished  to,  dream  of  doing  them  unless  asleep. 

THE  INFLUENCE  OF  MUSIC  ON  THE  SOMNAMBULIST.      AS  A  PROOF 
OF  THIS  I  WILL  STATE  A  VERY  INTERESTING  EXPERIMENT. 

In  the  first  place  I  will  remind  the  reader  of  the  great  influ- 
ence of  music  on  every  human  being.  If  we  hear  the  resonant 
ball  music,  we  will  naturally  undertake  certain  movements  in 
close  connection  with  the  character  and  tempo  of  the  piece 
played.  Similarly  the  military  band,  when  playing  a  national 
air,  will  animate  and  enrapture  the  people.  In  the  same  way 
will  the  funeral  march  relax  the  muscles,  make  the  walk  slower 
and  the  expression  sad,  while  not  to  forget  it  depresses  the  tem- 
per. Recollecting  this,  I  undertook  during  my  stay  in  Alexan- 
dria (Egypt)  seven  years  ago,  an  experiment  with  a  natural 
somnambulist  (sleep-walker).  I  was  remaining  about  a  month 
with  a  French  family,  Lament  by  name;  and  it  was  with  a  son 
of  the  family  that  I  carried  out  the  following  experiment:  The 
person  mentioned  was  not  directly  a  sleep-walker,  as  he  re- 
mained in  bed  throughout  the  entire  night,  but  his  sleep 
was  restless,  during  which  he  always  spoke.  As  I  am  a 
little  musical,  I  had  from  several  instruments  selected  an  excel- 
lent mouth  organ  with  very  soft  and  melodious  tones,  on  which, 
during  the  twilight  hours,  I  would  play  some  fragments  of  a 
noted  composition,  or  at  other  times,  simply  fantasy  pro  'notions, 


2OO          NATURAL    SOMNAMBULISM    OR    SLEEP-WALKING. 

when  I  felt  inspired  to  do  so.  It  was  very  late  on  a  very  sultry 
summer  evening,  when,  after  playing  for  about  an  hour  on  the 
veranda,  I  left  it  to  retire.  I  had  not  the  slightest  desire  for 
sleep,  so  I  took  up  a  book  to  read  awhile;  but  I  was  immedi- 
atelv  interrupted  by  hearing  the  young  man  loudly  snore  in  the 
room  adjoining  mine.  Still  holding  in  my  hand  my 
little  mouth  organ,  an  idea  inspired  me.  I  walked  into  the 
room  where  he  was  sleeping,  and  after  having  placed  myself 
languidly  in  a  chair,  I  commenced  in  a  soft  and  faint  way  to 
play  mv  instrument.  After  a  lapse  of  some  minutes  I  observed 
that  he  raised  himself  up  in  bed.  He  listened  to  my  music  with 
apparently  great  attention,  and  kept  his  body  motionless.  Even 
the  usual  snoring  ceased  ;  and  he  drew  his  breath  very  faintly. 
In  order  to  make  a  directly  recognized  impression,  I  played 
almost  inaudibly,  and  as  the  music  grew  weaker  and  weaker  he 
still  more  attentivelv  bent  himself  toward  me.  Suddenlv  I 
ceased  playing;  he  was  still  sitting  upright  in  the  bed.  After  a 
short  time  he  leaned  himself  quietly  back  and  continued  his 
sleep.  Soon  after  this  his  usual  snoring  could  again  be  distin- 
guished. The  next  day  at  the  dinner  table  1  narrated  the  oc- 
currence, which  caused  great  amusement.  My  next  experi- 
ment took  place  a  week  later,  on  a  clear  summer  night  about 
12  o'clock,  with  the  same  effect  as  above  stated,  though  I  noted 
some  new  and  verv  interesting  observations  which  I  will  relate: 
It  was  especially  interesting  to  notice  the  different  expres- 
sions of  his  face  according  to  the  variety  of  the  tunes.  While 
I  plaved  "Tycho  Brahes'  Farewell  to  Denmark,"  (the  world's 
famous  Danish  astronomer)  his  aspect  was  a  very  serious  one ; 
but  when  I  changed  it  to  "The  Last  Rose  of  Summer,"  his 
face  was  beaming  with  delight.  His  eyes  were  continually  half 
opened,  and  I  noticed  a  nervous  motion  of  the  eyelids  such  as 
we  find  in  hvpnotized  individuals.  He  would  wake  if  I  sud- 
denly approached  his  face  with  my  instrument  and  changed  to 


NATURAL    SOMNAMBULISM    OR    SLEEP-WALKING.  207 

a  new  tune,  or  when  I  played  false,  though  in  this  case  only 
when  it  was  done  with  a  certain  force. 

The  above  mentioned  experiment  I  have  since  tried  upon 
several  other  persons,  and  in  the  majority  of  cases  with  success. 
At  other  times  I  have  failed,  either  partly  or  perfectly. 

OTHER    EXPERIMENTS. 

Another  interesting  experiment  is  to  take  a  lighted  candle 
in  your  left  hand,  and  hold  it  as  high  as  your  face.  Take  posi- 
tion a  few  steps  from  the  bed  and  somewhat  bent  forward,  have 
your  eyes  and  thoughts  directed  at  the  sleeper.  Clench  your 
right  hand  tightly,  and  concentrate  your  thought  to  the  effect 
that  the  sleeper  shall  leave  his  bed  and  follow  you.  This  will 
occur  if  he  is  in  some  degree  subject  to  somnambulistic  influ- 
ences. The  person  will  first  become  restless,  try  to  lift  his  head 
from  the  pillow,  and  finally  he  will  sit  up  in  bed.  If  the  opera- 
tor slowly  moves  from  the  bed,  the  sleeper  will  follow  him, 
walking  with  him  till  he  stops.  You  must  carefully  consider 
the  direction  you  go  so  that  no  tables,  chairs  or  any  kind  of 
furniture,  are  in  the  way  of  the  sleeper,  as  otherwise  he  is  very 
likely  to  stumble  against  some  of  them.  It  is  of  interest  to 
notice  the  difference  between  this  and  the  natural  somnambu- 
lists who  are  spontaneously  sleep-walkers.  The  latter  will,  as 
we  know,  seem  to  be  very  careful  and  see  or  feel  everything  in 
their  path,  and  in  this  way  avoid  collision  with  any  obstacle 
they  meet;  while  the  former  kind  of  somnambulists  are  like 
the  hypnotized  mediums  who  will  stumble  against  anything 
in  their  way,  if  the  operator  does  not  take  proper  care  to  pre- 
vent it.  Of  course  this  experiment  is  not  to  be  commenced 
until  the  sleeper  has  been  resting  a  couple  of  hours.  No  light 
should  be  in  the  room  previous  to  this  operation,  during  which 
you  must  proceed  as  quietly  as  possible.  As  soon  as  the  sleeper 
begins  to  move,  you  must  retire  a  little  from  the  bed,  steadily 
holding  the  candle  in  your  outstretched  left  hand,  while  you 


2O8          NATURAL    SOMNAMBULISM    OR    SLEEP-WALKING. 

slowly  draw  yourself  backward  you  will  signalize  by  motions 
of  your  head  and  right  hand  that  the  person  is  to  follow  you, 
The  thought  must  all  the  time  be  concentrated  upon  the  success 
of  the  experiment.  The  reader  will  bear  in  mind  that  he  re- 
mains at  the  very  same  spot  while  experimenting,  and  avoid  the 
least  noise ;  furthermore,  he  must  not  gaze  too  sharply  at  the 
sleeping  person,  when  the  experiment  is  about  to  succeed,  as  he 
might  easily  awake  in  consequence  of  the  continued  staring. 
The  operator  must,  as  a  rule,  look  at  the  whole  person  or  in  the 
direction  of  his  breast,  while  he  slowly  retreats  from  the  bed. 
This  experiment  furnishes  material  for  a  line  of  still  more  re- 
markable experiments.  That  the  operator's  mind,  concentration 
and  eve  power  has  a  great  influence  on  the  sensitive  sleeper,  is 
a  well  known  fact.  The  reader  knows  surely,  of  the  common 
experiment  by  wrhich  one  can  force  a  person,  walking  or  sitting 
in  front  of  him,  to  turn  around  and  look  at  him,  by  simply  star- 
ing at  the  person's  neck  for  a  few  minutes.  While  a  mere 
youth  this  caused  me  great  amusement.  Often  when  walking 
with  my  friends  at  the  crowded  thoroughfares  of  Copenhagen, 
I  offered  to  bet  them  that  within  a  given  time  I  would  make  a 
certain  party  walking  ahead  of  us  to  turn  around.  Who  has 
not  at  the  theater  seen  a  night  scene  in  which  a  burglar  breaks 
in ;  how  he  in  great  fear  will  shyly  look  at  the  sleeping  occu- 
pants, and  then  suddenly  as  if  frightened,  will  withdraw  his 
glance  to  look  at  everything  else  but  the  sleepers.  The  cause 
is  that  the  burglar  fears  that  by  his  look  he  may  awaken  them, 
while  the  noise  he  will  probably  make  in  carrying  out  his  inten- 
tions does  not  so  much  bother  him,  because  his  instinct  more 
than  his  judgment  tells  him  that  he  at  any  risk,  must  not  gaze 
too  often  at  the  sleepers.  In  this  way  it  is  represented  by  a 
clever  actor  who  is  real  and  true  in  the  conception  of  his  role, 
and  in  every  detail  seeks  to  come  up  to  that  special  part  of  the 
play  in  which  he  appears.  This  is  not  only  represented  at  the 
theater;  we  see  it  also  in  real  life  upon  the  great  stage  of 


NATURAL    SOMNAMBULISM    OR    SLEEP-WALKING.  209 

human  life.     We  all  know  that  a  play  to  gain  the  proper  effect 
must  be  a  true  and  correct  copy  of  nature. 

THE    INSTINCT    OF    THE    SOMNAMBULIST. 

The  natural  somnambulist  will  almost  always  see  or  antici- 
pate a  danger,  and  as  if  by  instinct  avoid  it.  If  the  natural  som- 
nambulist walks  while  asleep  in  dangerous  places  or  on  dizzy 
heights,  he  will  generally  return  unhurt  from  his  wanderings — 
if  not  suddenly  awakened  by  some  alarm  or  voice.  In  the  city 
of  Hamburg,  about  ten  years  ago,  there  occurred  a  very  sensa- 
tional case,  the  details  of  which  I  will  narrate.  Upon  a  moon- 
light summer  night  as  a  gentleman  hurried  along  the  streets 
towards  his  home,  he  saw  a  person,  apparentlv  verv  thinly 
dressed,  walking  from  one  roof  to  another  of  the  four-story 
buildings.  He  called  the  attention  of  some  young  merry  fel- 
lows to  what  he  saw;  and  in  connection  with  them  called  very 
loudly  to  the  person  in  order  to  attract  his  attention  to  the  threat- 
ening danger  to  which  he  was  exposed.  By  a  wild  roar  in 
which  they  all  united  the  person  awakened,  became  dizzy  and 
lost  his  balance.  For  a  moment  it  looked  as  if  death  should  in- 
evitably be  the  lot  of  the  unfortunate  one,  and  the  party  on  the 
street  understood  how  inconsiderately  they  had  acted.  But  for- 
tunately— who  understands  the  fate  or  the  invisible  hands  of 
providence — the  person  fainted  and  remained  upon  the  sloping 
roof  where  a  nail  caught  his  clothing.  The  combined  efforts  of 
those  present  with  the  help  of  the  occupants  of  the  house  at 
last  succeeded  in  bringing  the  sleep-walker  into  a  place  of  safetv. 
It  was  a  young  woman,  who,  disregarding  the  defects  of  her 
dress,  had  undertaken  this  night  wandering.  Hv  a  closer  ex- 
amination it  was  found  that  her  right  arm  was  broken — thanks 
to  the  heedlessness  of  ber  apparent  helpers.  As  we  may  un- 
derstand, not  this  young  woman  only,  but  generally  the  greater 
number  of  somnambulists,  would  escape  unhurt  from  their 
nightly  wanderings  in  dangerous  places  if  no  heedless  specta- 


2IO          NATURAL    SOMNAMBULISM    OK    SLEEP-WALKING. 

tors,  by  erroneous  acting,  as  yelling  or  screaming,  caused  the 
sleepers  to  awaken  too  suddenly. 

In  the  other  case,  the  catastrophe  will  undoubtedly  present 
itself  and  the  unfortunate  will  meet  sure  death,  unless  it  hap- 
pens as  in  the  above  case,  that  providence  interferes  for  a  more 
fortunate  result.  Of  course  it  is  not  the  idea  in  such  perilous 
cases  to  leave  the  somnambulist  walking  from  one  dangerous 
place  to  another.  In  such  cases  we  must  by  a  sensible  and  well 
considered  method,  in  a  quiet  self-possessed  manner,  try  to  re- 
move the  sleeper  from  the  threatening  danger.  This  will 
always  result  in  success  for  that  person  who  with  good  will  at- 
tempts to  perform  his  duty  towards  his  fellow  men  whenever 
they  are  in  danger. 

SOMNAMBULISM    AND  ITS    PECULIARITIES. 

We  are  entitled  to  the  admission  that  the  moon  plays  an  in- 
fluential role  on  the  somnambulist.  Why  otherwise  should  he 
ascend  the  most  perilous  walls  or  scaffolds,  if  it  is  not  with  the 
intention  of  getting  up  as  high  as  possible,  to  look  at  the  moon. 
These  somnambulists  are  as  a  rule  women  —  rarely  men  —  who 
never,  while  awake,  would  have  strength  enough  to  ascend  such 
dangerous  places,  and  who  never  before  have  attempted  any- 
thing of  the  kind,  or  even  for  a  moment  stopped  to  consider  the 
possibility  of  such  an  undertaking.  This  shows  clearly  that  the 
claim  made  by  several  celebrated  physicans  that  somnambulists 
could  not  ascend  places  or  perform  work  which  had  not  previ- 
ously occupied  their  minds  is  altogether  an  erroneous  one.  They 
state,  as  a  proof,  that  during  sleep  it  is  the  spine  that  directs  us 
and  docs  our  thinking,  and  as  a  result,  while  we  are  asleep, 
fancy  occupies  itself  with  such  things  as  we  have  previously 
thought  of  while  awake  ;  furthermore,  that  the  spine  is  the  dom- 
inating control  during  our  sleep,  which  guides  us  in  an  auto- 
matic way  to  perform  such  actions  as  we  in  daytime  have 
received  an  impression  of  through  our  chief  director,  the  brain. 


NATURAL    SOMNAMBULISM    OR    SLEEP-WALKING.  211 

This  all  sounds  very  plausible,  but  it  can  only  be  accepted  in 
very  few  cases.  Such  an  one-sided,  unreliable  theory  can  not 
be  in  harmony  with  somnambulism  in  general. 

Somnambulism  with  all  its  varieties  presents  itself  differ- 
ently. It  is  all  dependent  upon  the  class  to  which  the  person 
(the  sleep-walker)  belongs;  and  to  the  mental  or  bodily  causes 
prevailing. 

I  will  mention  here  the  remarkable  somnambulistic  perform- 
ance of  a  Detroit  young  lady.  "  One  of  the  most  remarkable 
exhibitions  of  somnambulism  ever  given  in  this  city  took  place 
about  one  o'clock  Saturday  morning,  near  the  corner  of  High 
and  Sixth  streets,"  says  the  Detroit  Free  Press.  "  The  princi- 
pal actor  in  the  serio-comic  drama  was  an  eighteen-year  old  Miss, 
named  Annie  Barton,  and  she  was  first  discovered  by  C.  W. 
Hedges.  He  was  on  his  way  home,  when  his  attention  was  at- 
tracted by  a  queer-looking  object  seated  on  the  top  of  a  grape- 
vine arbor  just  over  the  fence.  Stopping,  Mr.  Hedges  looked 
at  the  figure  until  he  saw  it  move.  Then  he  spoke  to  it;  but 
received  no  answer.  At  this  juncture  Captain  C.  C.  Stark- 
weather, of  the  Turnbull  Avenue  Police  Station,  came  along 
on  Sixth  street  on  his  way  home.  He  was  stopped  bv  Mr. 
Hedges,  who  pointed  out  the  queer  figure,  and  they  were  not 
long  in  doubt  as  to  the  nature  of  the  apparition.  '  It's  a  woman  !' 
said  Captain  Starkweather,  '  and  she  must  be  asleep,'  contin- 
ued Mr.  Hedges.  Arriving  at  that  conclusion  the  men  opened 
the  gate,  and,  walking  to  the  arbor,  called  the  sleeping  girl,  but 
received  no  reply.  Captain  Starkweather  began  climbing  up 
the  arbor,  at  which  the  girl  started  on  a  lively  run,  and  going 
the  whole  length  of  the  arbor  roof,  made  a  jump — clearing  a 
space  of  about  eight  feet  —  alighting  on  the  roof  of  a  wood- 
shed. This  maneuver  astonished  men,  who  awakened  Mr. 
Tompson  and  his  family,  and  told  them  that  there  was  a  sleep- 
walker upon  their  wood-shed.  Soon  Mr.  Tompson,  his  wife 
and  son  joined  Mr.  Hedges  and  the  Captain  in  the  chase. 


212  NATURAL    SOMNAMBULISM    OR    SLEEP-WALKING. 

What  was  their  surprise  to  find  Miss  Barton  had  clambered 
from  the  shed  to  the  wing,  and  thence  to  the  apex  of  the  roof 
of  the  main  building,  where  she  stood  leaning  against  the  chim- 
ney. Finally  a  ladder  was  procured,  and  young  Tompson 
climbed  to  the  side  of  the  roof,  but  getting  there  found  it  so 
covered  with  snow  and  ice  that  it  was  impossible  for  him  to 
reach  the  girl.  So  down  he  came,  and  the  ladder  was  carried 
to  the  front  of  the  house,  when  it  was  put  in  position,  with  one 
end  against  the  roof-peak.  This  time  Captain  Starkweather 
took  off  his  boots  and  climbed  up.  The  girl  stood  quietly  until 
he  was  within  a  few  feet  of  her,  when  she  ran  toward  the  wing, 
and  sliding  went  from  one  roof  to  the  other ;  thence  she  jumped 
back  to  the  grape-arbor,  and  before  any  of  the  men  could  get 
to  her,  she  jumped  to  the  ground ;  and  dashing  through  a  back 
gate,  ran  up  High  street.  The  chase  was  then  continued  to 
the  Crawford  Street  Park,  where  she  was  captured.  Then  it 
was  found  that  she  was  completely  dressed,  with  the  exception 
of  a  hat  and  shawl,  and  that  during  all  of  her  hazardous  mid- 
night ramble  she  had  not  received  the  slighest  injury.  She  was 
taken  to  the  Turnbull  Avenue  Police  Station  until  her  relatives, 
being  notified,  put  in  their  appearance  and  took  her  in  charge. 
Her  friends  say  this  is  the  second  occasion  of  the  kind  in  which 
Miss  Barton  has  taken  part." 

THE      STRANGE      EFFECTS     OF      SPONTANEOUS      SOMNAMBULISM 
ON    PECULIAR    INDIVIDUALS. 

Spontaneous  somnambulism  happens  very  often — much 
more  frequently  than  is  generally  supposed.  A  person  awakens 
in  the  morning,  and  he  is,  in  his  thoughts  and,  in  fact,  in  all 
respects,  an  entirely  different  person  than  his  normal  self — as  he 
went  to  sleep  the  night  before.  Let  us  admit  that  the  person, 
from  the  normal  sleep,  little  by  little,  goes  over  into  the  som- 
nambulistic state.  He  awakes  in  the  morning  at  the  usual  time 
without  leaving  the  somnambulistic  state.  His  thoughts  will 


NATURAL    SOMNAMBULISM    OR    SLEEP-WALKING.  213 

then  only  occupy  him  with  those  suggestions  or  ideas  he  re- 
ceived in  the  dreaming  condition  the  night  before.  Besides 
going  from  the  normal  sleep  over  into  the  somnambulistic  con- 
dition a  person  may  also,  while  in  the  normal  awake  state,  go 
over  into  this  peculiar  state  of  spontaneous  somnambulism — even 
in  the  midst  of  the  day.  We  have  often  heard  of  such  cases, 
in  which  a  person  temporarily  goes  into  the  somnambulistic 
state  and  as  suddenly  imagines  himself  to  be  an  entirely  differ- 
ent person,  and  consequentlv  he  acts  and  thinks  as  another  per- 
son. How  often  do  we  hear  of  persons  who  suddenly,  without 
any  reasonable  cause,  leave  their  homes  or  business.  They 
disappear,  for  a  longer  or  shorter  time,  from  their  circle  of  daily 
acquaintances,  and  later  on  someone  finds  them  somewhere  in 
the  same  city,  or  in  an  entirely  strange  place,  wandering  about 
aimlessly,  seemingly  without  any  purposes  or  ideas  what  to  do. 
They  appear  awake,  but  they  are  confused  and  unable  to  ex- 
plain what  they  have  done  while  absent.  I  will  state  only  a  few 
examples.  Some  time  ago  a  well-known,  honest,  highly  esteemed 
government  officer  disappeared,  and  a  couple  of  weeks  later  he 
was  found  employed  as  a  waiter  in  a  fifth-class  restaurant,  situ- 
ated in  an  obscure  part  of  the  city.  Another  case :  A  very 
well-  known  and  highly  esteemed  minister  suddenly  disappeared 
from  his  congregation  and  family.  He  was  accidentally  found 
many  miles  away,  where  he  had  opened  a  store — buying  and 
selling  second-hand  clothes.  He  dealt  with  the  persistence  of 
an  expert,  like  an  experienced  business  man  in  this  line.  He 
went  under  another  name,  'lived  quietly  and  secluded  from  all 
other  human  beings,  except  in  the  line  of  business.  As  a  busi- 
ness man  he  was  just  as  honest  and  respectable  as  he  was  as  a 
minister,  but  without  having  the  slightest  idea  of  having  occu- 
pied such  a  position.  By  a  couple  of  weeks'  careful  treatment  he 
recovered,  little  by  little,  from  his  slumber  (somnambulism) 
and  became  again  the  old  jovial  minister. 


214          NATURAL    SOMNAMBULISM    OR    SLEEP-WALKING. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  many  of  those  persons  whom  we 
believe  to  be  insane — instead  of  being  brought  into  an  institu- 
tion for  insanity — could  be  easily  cured  of  their  erroneous 
imaginations  by  simply  using  hypnotic  treatment ;  for  we  know 
that  natural  somnambulism  disappears  under  artificial  somnam- 
bulism. 

A  fact  I  have  observed,  and  which  I  think  is  of  great  impor- 
tance, is  that  those  somnambulists  who  come  under  the  influence 
of  this  condition  in  day  time,  never  appear  to  be  sleep-walkers  at 
night;  and  if  it  happens  they  will  only  perform  very  slight, 
insignificant  things  as  they  never  expose  themselves  to  any 
danger.  We  have  apparently  only  a  few  examples  of  this  pecu- 
liar condition  ;  but  they  are  nevertheless,  in  minds  more  numer- 
ous than  it  is  supposed.  We  find  people  who  after  going 
through  some  disease,  unnoticeably  yielding  to  somnolent  con- 
ditions without  their  associates  having  the  slightest  knowledge 
thereof.  I  will  here  briefly  state  an  example  of  these  peculiar 
cases  of  spontaneous  somnambulism  occurring  in  day  time  with 
one  of  these  formerly  mentioned  strongly  hysteric  or  epileptic 
persons,  born  with  a  morbid  tendency  towards  this  remarkable 
condition.  We  read  frequently  of  judges  falling  asleep  during 
the  hearing  of  a  case,  but  for  a  prisoner  to  be  slumbering  peace- 
fully during  the  whole  of  his  trial,  is  probably  an  unprecedented 
occurrence.  This  curious  spectacle  was  witnessed  recently  in 
the  Tenth  police  court,  Paris,  where  a  man  named  Emil  David 
was  charged  with  illegally  personating  a  barrister,  and  with 
common  swindling.  After  giving  his  name  in  answer  to  the 
magistrate,  the  defendant  ceased  to  flsply  to  the  questions  put  to 
him,  and  his  counsel  explained  to  the  court  that  David  was  fast 
asleep,  though  his  eyes  were  wide  open.  The  magistrate  was 
of  course  rather  suspicious  of  such  an  explanation  and  in  order 
to  prove  that  his  client  was  not  shamming,  Maitre  Ranaud 
placed  his  hands  before  the  prisoner's  eyes,  and  drawing  them 
slowly  back,  caused  him  to  rise  and  leap  over  the  barrier  which 


NATURAL    SOMNAMBULISM    OR    SLEEP-WALKING.  215 

separated  the  dock  from  the  court.  He  was  led  back  to  his  seat 
but  it  was  found  quite  imposible  to  awaken  him.  The  trial, 
however,  was  proceeded  with,  and  Maitre  Ranaud  in  David's 
defense,  explained  that  he  was  a  highly  hysterical,  hypnotic 
subject,  and  that  at  times  he  would  remain  for  long  periods  in 
what  is  known  as  the  "automatic  ambulatory"  stage  of  the 
disease  or  spontaneous  somnambulism.  This  means  that  the 
patient,  although  in  a  state  of  complete  somnolence,  acts  like  an 
ordinary  individual,  and  can  travel,  carry  on  a  conversation  or 
play  cards  without  any  one  suspecting  that  he  is  asleep.  On 
waking,  however,  he  is  entirely  unconscious  of  what  he  has 
done  while  in  that  condition.  This  David  on  one  occasion, 
traveled  from  Paris  to  Troyes  without  being  conscious  of  doing 
so,  and  on  recovering  his  senses  discovered  that  he  had  lost  his 
overcoat  with  a  sum  of  money  in  one  of  the  pockets.  He  had 
no  recollection  as  to  where  he  had  left  the  garment,  but  some 
months  later,  on  telling  the  story  to  a  surgeon  at  the  Hotel 
Dieu,  the  latter  artificially  threw  David  into  a  state  of  hyp- 
notic sleep,  during  which  he  explained  the  position  and  the 
number  of  the  room  in  a  hotel  at  Troyes  where  he  had  left  the 
coat.  The  landlord  was  communicated  with  and  the  story 
found  to  be  perfectly  correct.  The  hearing  of  the  case  was 
terminated  some  time  before  David  could  be  awakened  and  the 
passing  of  the  sentence  was  delayed  for  two  hours,  as  the  court 
did  not  wish  to  condem  a  sleeping  man.  Finally,  when  he  re- 
covered his  senses,  the  prisoner  was  informed  that  on  account 
of  his  extraordinary  temperament  his  offense  would  be  visited 
only  with  a  penalty  of  one  month's  imprisonment. 

There  are  persons  who  are  thrown  into  somnambulistic  condi- 
tion while  asleep  by  one  or  another  unknown  causes,  and  who 
still  maintain  this  condition  even  after  being,  seemingly,  awake  in 
the  morning.  They  leave  home  and  enter  upon  the  day's  business 
or  occupation,  and  they  seem  to  fill  their  different  places  satis- 
factory, but  they  never  show  any  special  ability  or  intelligence. 


2l6          NATURAL    SOMNAMBULISM    OR    SLEEP-WALKING. 

They  are  what  we  in  daily  talk  would  term  dull  and  habitual — 
beyond  this  they  have  no  interest.  (The  reader  must  not  here 
be  mistaken  as  to  the  difference  between  these  sickly  somnam- 
bulists and  the  natural  somnambulist,  who  while  the  condition 
lasts  shows  a  greater  intellectual  power  than  he  is  known  to 
possess  awake.  We  must  therefore  arrange  the  sickly  som- 
nambulist under  some  such  classification  as  hysterics  and 
epileptics,  etc.)  We  find  people  who  perform  all  the  functions 
of  life,  live,  work,  eat  and  drink,  tend  to  all  their  daily  duties 
without  they  themselves  or  their  companions  ever  understand- 
ing the  unition  hereof.  Such  people  will  by  some  sudden  vio- 
lent shock,  sensation,  disease  or  other  equal  causes  rapidly  extri- 
cate themselves  from  this  condition  which  has  held  them  captive. 
We  see  mail- carriers  who  travel  a  certain  route  every  day, 
mechanically  stop  to  look  in  the  same  dull  way  whether  they 
have  a  letter  for  Mr.  Brown  or  Mr.  Peterson,  deliver  this  if 
found,  walk  as  their  duty  may  call  to  the  next  house — and  so  on 
continually.  These  persons  are  not  always  able  to  recollect 
what  they  have  done  half  an  hour  before,  for  instance,  an  occa- 
sional conversation,  a  parcel  or  letter  delivered  at  a  certain 
place,  etc.,  simply  because  it  is  not  directly  their  duty  to  remem- 
ber such  things,  and  it  is  outside  of  their  mechanical  daily  duty. 
They  have  taught  themselves  the  recollective  power  merely  for 
the  sake  of  existence.  They  will  mechanically  avoid  any  dan- 
ger on  the  public  thoroughfares  or  crossings  but  they  pay  no 
attention  to  details.  As  an  example  I  will  state  how  a  mail- 
carrier  often  collides  with  by-passing  people,  where  the  thick- 
ness of  the  crowd  or  any  particular  hurry  on  the  part  of 
the  mail-carrier  is  not  the  cause.  At  the  moment  of  the 
collision  he  looks  up  with  a  kind  of  dumb,  absent  expression 
on  his  face,  making  an  excuse  and  walks  on  proceeding  with 
his  occupation  in  the  old  state  of  apathy.  I  could  state  num- 
bers of  other  examples  if  space  permitted.  The  reader  may 
suggest  that  the  person  spoken  of  has  been  lost  in  his  own 


NATURAL    SOMNAMBULISM    OR    SLEEP-WALKING.  21^ 

thoughts,  occupied  merely  by  his  duty,  perhaps  trying  to  solve 
some  scientific  problem.  No, — this  is,  so  far  as  the  mail-carrier 
and  his  duty  is  concerned,  hardly  acceptable.  If  a  deep  thinker 
who  really  performs  wonderful  work  with  his  brain  is  at  times 
apt  to  relapse  into  a  state  of  dreamy  reveries  it  will  appear  to 
be  periodical  and,  under  such  conditions,  only  when  the 
moment  demands  his  full  attention.  With  the  other  persons 
mentioned  this  condition  is  without  these  or  similar  reasons — 
always  present  year  after  year,  often  half  a  lifetime — until  some 
sudden  change  throws  them  out  of  the  remarkable  half-dreamy 
existence  and  restores  them  to  that  absolute  normal  state  of 
awakened  life  in  which  they  .were  found  before  the  interference 
of  the  condition  spoken  of. 

A  very  interesting  case  of  auto-somnambulism,  or  self-hvp- 
notizing,  occurred  eleven  vears  ago  to  a  photographer  in  New- 
castle, England,  of  which  I  was  an  eve- witness.  One  dav  I 
was  visiting  the  photographer  in  his  atelier  when  a  working- 
man  with  wife  and  two  children  came  in  to  sit  for  a  picture  of 
the  whole  family.  As  the  family  expressed  their  willingness  I 
remained.  After  being  placed  in  their  respective  positions  and 
asked  to  look  at  a  certain  point,  the  photographer  proceeded 
with  his  work.  At  the  time  of  which  I  speak  the  photogra- 
pher was  not  provided  with  the  excellent  apparatus  of  the  pres- 
ent day.  Persons  who  desired  a  picture  often  sat  several  min- 
utes in  the  same  position  looking  in  a  certain  direction.  To  sit 
like  that  is  always  very  tiresome,  and  it  frequently  happened 
that  it  had  a  peculiar  hypnotic  effect  upon  the  sitter,  as  is  illus- 
trated by  the  following.  The  first  sitting  was  not  a  success, 
and  when  the  second  was  taken  to  his  satisfaction  he  said  to  the 
family:  "You  are  through;  you  can  leave  your  seats."  The 
whole  family  arose  except  the  husband,  who  remained  in  his 
position  without  moving.  The  photographer  again  told  him  in 
a  louder  voice  that  he  was  through,  but  he  remained  still  as 
motionless  as  before.  The  photographer  slapped  him  on  the 


2lS          NATURAL    SOMNAMBULISM    OR    SLEEP-WALKING. 

shoulder  and,  looking  right  in  his  face,  told  him  in  a  loud  voice 
that  he  was  through.  The  man's  face  flushed,  and  he  jumped 
from  his  chair  as  from  a  slumber.  He  was  now  fully  awakened. 
The  party  left  the  atelier  and  I  asked  the  photographer  if  he 
had  seen  cases  like  this  before.  He  answered  me:  "Yes, very 
often;  but  it  seems  to  me  that  in  general  it  happens -with  people 
who  are  not  used  to  being  photographed,  and  to  those  whose 
movements  are  lazy  and  drowsy.  No  doubt  it  is  people  who 
mean  to  exactly  follow  my  instructions  that  are  affected  in  this 
way." 

I  have  seen  people  employed  in  a  factory  or  in  the  field, 
sleepy  fishermen,  and  others  in  this  remarkable  condition.  With 
the  striking  examples  that  I  have  studied  I  could  easily  fill  a 
book.  At  the  east  and  west  coast  of  Denmark  there  are  scat- 
tered a  number  of  villages  which  are,  with  only  a  few  excep- 
tions, inhabited  by  fishermen.  I  have  here  seen  many  interest- 
ing cases.  These  people  are  easily  influenced  by  the  melan- 
choly aspect  of  the  Danish  heaths,  the  monotonous  roaring1  of 
the  sea,  and  the  breaking  of  the  waves  against  the  stones  of  the 
beach  ;  and  their  occupation,  taught  when  in  boyhood,  calling 
for  their  strict  attention  day  after  day,  leaves  no  time  for  mental 
activity  or  development.  How  often  have  I  while  a  boy  sat 
down  at  the  seashore  as  children  like  and,  with  great  interest, 
watched  the  endless  waves,  listening  to  the  roar  of  the  gale 
and  then,  with  a  certain  anxiety,  have  seen  the  fishermen  of  the 
village  go  into  their  boats  and  gradually  disappear  from  my 
view.  Always  I  heard  the  same  monotonous  melodies,  the 
same  sorrowful  songs,  nearly  all  of  which  had  a  religious  ten- 
dency, describing  unfortunate  love,  or  those  evil  spirits  that 
dwell  in  the  ocean  watching  with  greedy  covetousness  for  the 
victims  of  the  sea  when  it  rages.  These  people,  notwithstand- 
ing their  daily  duty  with  repairing  boats  and  nets,  their  nightly 
excursions  on  the  sea,  the  repetition  of  their  melancholy  songs 
— appear  to  be  living-dead,  performing  all  absolutely  necessary 


NATURAL    SOMNAMBULISM    OR    SLEEP-WALKING.  2 19 

functions  and  actions — always  in  a  certain  somnambulistic 
mentally  sleeping  condition.  Such  people  are  frequently  met 
with  on  the  coast  of  Scotland  and  other  places  in  Europe. 
They  are  at  the  same  time  known  to  be  seers  and  clairvoyants, 
of  which  they  have  often  given  satisfactory  proofs.  This  is 
analogical  with  the  person  who  in  bed  during  a  somnambulistic 
condition  has  similar  visions ;  also  \vith  the  artificial  somnam- 
bulist, the  hypnotic  individual  who,  during  this  condition,  some- 
times shows  a  similar  clairvoyant  ability.  These  and  similar 
conditions  are  worthy  a  closer  study  and  observation.  It  is  of 
great  disadvantage  to  modern  science  that  these  cases  have  not 
been  taken  up  by  some  advanced  scientist  who  could  give  it  a 
close  investigation  ;  but  perhaps  this,  too,  will  find  its  remedy 
some  day  in  the  future.  Among  others  I  find  the  natural  sleep 
worthy  a  real  study,  as  we,  in  fact,  know  nothing  of  it,  and  I 
consider  it  an  interesting  condition.  An  experiment  which  I 
find  of  much  value  to  observe,  and  to  which  most  people  pay 
no  attention,  is  self-suggestion.  Numerous  people  are  able  to 
fix  the  hour  at  which  thev  wish  to  awake  in  the  morning  and 
to  awaken  at  exactly  the  time  appointed.  Furthermore  it  is  of 
interest  to  observe  our  dreams  during  the  so-called  normal  sleep, 
among  which  the  plurality  surely  are  due  to  an  overfilled 
stomach,  bad  digestion,  and  similar  causes.  Other  dreams  may 
appear  completely  independent  of  these  reasons — dreams  that 
really  have  come  to  pass  at  a  later  time,  dreams  of  things  that 
had  occurred  alreadv,  dreams  of  approaching  danger,  dreams 
in  which  the  sleeping  individual  beheld  deceased  persons  or  liv- 
ing friends  that  were  hundreds  of  miles  from  the  dreamer. 
This  is  often,  as  we  know,  the  case  with  the  other  kind  of 
dreamers  ;  namely,  the  somnambulistic  sleep-walkers,  who,  with 
their  eves  wide  open,  either  Iving  in  bed  or  walking  around  the 
floor,  believe  themselves  engaged  in  conversation  with  deceased 
or  absent  friends.  Homer  has,  in  different  works,  several  times 
treated  this  interesting  subject  in  a  way  that  shows  the  deep 


220          NATURAL    SOMNAMBULISM    OR    SLEEP-WALKING. 

familiarity  and  knowledge  this  great  spirit  possessed  in  regard 
to  somnambulism  and  dream  life.  Even  the  ancient  philosoph- 
ical authors  of  Greece,  Hippocrates  and  Aristoteles,  have  paid 
somnambulism  a  certain  attention  in  a  still  higher  degree  than 
we  find  it  discussed  by  some  of  our  modern  scientists. 

Hippocrates  wrote:  "I  have  known  many  persons  during 
sleep  moaning  and  calling  out,  .  .  .  and  others  rising  up, 
fleeing  out  of  doors  and  afterward  becoming  well  and  rational 

o  o 

as  bt  fore — although  they  may  be  pale  and  weak." 

Aristoteles  said :  "  Some  are  moved  while  they  sleep  and 
perform  many  things  which  pertain  to  wakefulness,  though  not 
without  a  certain  phantasm  and  a  certain  sense ;  for  a  dream  is 
often  in  a  certain  manner  a  sensible  perception."  Altogether 
there  were  in  ancient  times  those  who  paid  great  attention  to 
these  things,  not  merely  among  the  masses,  but  the  great  poets 
sought  among  these  phenomena  objects  for  some  of  their  most 
wonderful  poems.  From  the  abundance  I  cite  Homer  in  the 
following  poem : 

Hush'd  by  the  murmurs  of  a  rolling  deep, 

Achilles  sinks  in  the  soft  arm  of  sleep. 

When,  lo!  the  shade,  before  his  closing  eyes, 

Of  sad  Patroclus  rose.     He  saw  him  rise 

In  the  same  robe  he  living  wore.     He  came 

In  stature,  voice,  and  pleasant  look  the  same. 

The  form  familiar  hover'd  o'er  his  head. 

And  sleeps  Achilles  (thus  the  phantom  said), 

Sleeps  my  Achilles,  his  Patroclus  dead? 

Living,  I  seem'd  his  dearest,  tenderest  care, 

But  now  forgot,  I  wander  in  the  air, 

Let  my  pale  corse  the  rites  of  burial  know, 

And  give  me  entrance  in  the  realms  below. 

And  is  it  thou?  (he  answers).    To  my  sight 

Once  more  returnest  thou  from  realms  of  night? 

O  more  than  brother!     Think  each  office  paid, 

Whate'er  can  rest  a  disembodied  shade; 

But  grant  one  last  embrace,  unhappy  boy! 

Afford  at  least  that  melancholy  joy. 


NATURAL    SOMNAMBULISM    OR    SLEEP-WALKING.  221 

He  said,  and  with  his  longing  arms  essay'd 

In  vain  to  grasp  the  visionary  shade; 

Like  a  thin  smoke  he  sees  the  spirit  fly, 

And  hears  a  feeble,  lamentable  cry. 

Confused  he  wakes,  amazement  breaks  the  bands 

Of  golden  sleep,  and  starting  from  the  sands 

Pensive  he  muses  with  uplifted  hands: 

'Tis  true,  'tis  certain;  man,  though  dead,  retains 
Part  of  himself,  the  immortal  mind  remains; 
The  form  subsists  without  the  body's  aid 
Aerial  semblance,  and  an  empty  shade! 
This  night  my  friend,  so  late  in  battle  lost, 
Stood  at  my  side,  a  pensive,  plaintive  ghost; 
Even  now  familiar,  as  in  life,  he  came 
Alas!  how  different!  yet  how  like  the  same! 


SLEEP-WALKING. 

BY  D.  HACK  TUKE,  M.  D.,  LL.  D.,  LONDON. 

One  of  my  correspondents  sends  me  a  remarkable  instance 
of  a  girl  learning  her  lessons  in  her  sleep.  How  this  came 
about  I  must  briefly  state.  Her  father,  who  had  held  a  good 
position  as  a  country  gentleman,  died  in  debt.  The  mother 
was  in  great  distress,  and  having  given  up  her  country  house, 
sent  her  daughters  to  a  day  school,  telling  them  that  they  must 
profit  to  the  uttermost  by  the  teaching,  which  she  could  so  ill 
afford  to  give  them.  They  were  much  impressed  with  their 
mother's  words,  and  set  to  work  industriously.  They  took  their 
school  books  up  to  bed  with  them,  intending  to  learn  the  lessons 
set  them.  In  the  morning  when  they  awoke,  one  of  the  daugh- 
ters found,  when  fully  awake  anil  applying  her  mind  to  her  les- 
sons, that  she  had  learnt  them  already.  Now,  this  happened 
morning  after  morning,  and  the  mother  puxxlcd  herself  over 
the  mystery  in  vain.  One  night,  however,  she  happened  to  be 
visiting,  and  did  not  return  home  till  very  late.  The  moon  was 
shining  brightly  on  the  window  of  the  room  where  the  daugh- 


222  NATURAL    SOMNAMBULISM    OR    SLEEP-W ALKING. 

ter  slept,  and  she  descried  her  daughter's  form.  She  went 
quietly  upstairs,  and  entering  the  room,  found  her  daughter 
seated  at  the  window  in  her  night-dress  only  and  sound  asleep. 
Her  lesson  book,  which  was  in  her  hand,  was  the  subject  of  her 
earnest  but  unconscious  study.  The  mystery  was  solved.  She 
was  trying  to  obey  her  mother's  desire  "to  profit  to  the  utter- 
termost"  by  the  instruction  given  her. 

I  confess  that  I  received  this  remarkable  statement  with 
some  hesitation  in  the  first  instance.*  At  the  same  time  it  is 
not  more  extraordinary  than  working  out  a  problem  in  Euclid, 
as  in  the  following  instance.  The  process  of  committing  to 
memory  is,  indeed,  not  so  high  a  mental  deed  as  this.  A  school 
teacher,  now  living,  had  conducted  a  geometry  class  among  the 
boys  for  some  months,  and  gave  them,  as  an  examination  exer- 
cise, to  prove  the  4/th  problem  of  Euclid,  Book  I.,  taking 
nothing  but  the  axioms  and  postulatis  as  granted.  Many  tried 
it,  but  only  one  succeeded  in  the  contest.  For  some  time  he 
was  baffled  with  one  stage  of  the  proof,  and  retired  to  bed  with 
his  mind  full  of  difficulty.  Late  that  night  the  teacher,  in  go- 
ing round  the  bed  room  before  retiring  to  rest,  found  this  boy 
kneeling  on  his  bed,  with  his  face  to  the  wall,  and  pointing 
from  spot  to  spot,  as  if  following  a  proof  in  a  figure  on  a  black- 
board. He  was  so  absorbed  in  his  occupation  that  he  neither 
noticed  the  light  of  the  candle  nor  answered  when  addressed  by 
name ;  in  short,  he  was  asleep.  He  was  not  disturbed,  but  was 
left  still  proving  his  problem. 

Next  morning,  before  he  left  his  bed  room,  the  teacher  said 
to  him  :  "  Well,  John,  have  you  finished  your  proof?"  His 
reply  was  :  "  Yes,  I  have ;  I  dreamt  it,  and  remembered  my 
dream  this  morning,  and  got  out  of  bed  as  soon  as  I  could  see 
and  wrote  it  out  at  the  window." 


*I  have  met  recently  with  a  passage  in  Abercrombie's  Intellectual  Powers,  in  which 
he  says:  "  There  are  many  instances  on  record  of  persons  composing  during  the  state  of 
somnambulism;  as  of  boys  rising  in  their  sleep  and  finishing  their  tasks  which  they  had 
left  incomplete."  (P.  239.) 


NATURAL    SOMNAMBULISM    OR    SLEEP-WALKING.  223 

A  barrister  sleep-walker  writes  :  "  On  one  occasion  I  came 
clown  stairs  in  my  night-dress  to  warn  my  family  not  to  drink 
the  beer,  as  I  had  seen  a  crow  fall  into  it  when  it  was  brewing. 
This  was,  of  course,  only  a  dream,  as  no  such  thing  had  really 
occurred."  He  adds  :  "  Very  vivid  dreams  are  always  associa- 
ted with  sleep-walking,  in  my  case.  I  always  dream,  when  I 
sleep,  if  only  for  a  moment,  and  always  did  so.  I  compose 
poems  and  solve  problems  in  my  dreams,  and  feel  great  delight 
and  satisfaction  in  so  doing;  but  when  I  awake  I  find  the  poems 
often  without  any  meaning,  and  the  solutions  of  problems  are 
trash  and  false.  I  have  also  words  and  sentences  of  horror  in  my 
dreams  which  are  nonsense.  Moreover,  I  often  wake  with  an 
impression  of  the  enormous  size  of  the  furniture  of  mv  bedroom." 

Lord  Culpepper's  brother,  famous  as  a  sleep-walker,  and 
whose  portrait,  by  Sir  Peter  Lely,  is  given  in  Lodge's  Histor- 
ical Portraits,  was  indicted  at  the  Old  Bailey,  in  1686,  for  shoot- 
ing one  of  the  guards  and  his  horse.  The  defense  set  up  was 
somnambulism,  and  he  was  acquitted,  after  his  counsel  had 
called  in  his  favor  nearly  fifty  witnesses  to  bear  testimony  to  the 
marvelous  exploits  he  performed  during  sleep.  See  Macnish's 
Philosophy  of  Sleep. 

Dr.  Yellowlees  writes  to  me:  "I  know  an  individual  who, 
when  a  boy,  was  found  one  night  standing  up  in  bed  and  fu- 
riously shaking  the  bedpost.  The  explanation  was  that  he  had 
been  reading  Uncle  Tom's  Cabin,  and  believed,  in  his  dream, 
that  he  had  got  hold  of  Legree !  When  a  student  he  was 
amazed  one  morning  to  find  that  he  had  the  fire-irons  beside  him 
in  bed,  and  could  only  explain  it  by  remembering  that  he  had 
dreamed  that  robbers  were  going  to  break  into  the  house,  and 
that  he  had  intended  to  confront  them  with  the  poker.  Substi- 
tute for  the  bedpost  a  child  in  the  bed  or  room,  and  clearly  this 
might  have  easily  become  a  criminal  case." 

Furthermore  D.  Hack  Tuke  says  :  "  One  of  my  correspon- 
dents, a  schoolmaster  for  forty  years,  informs  me  that  he  has 


224          NATURAL    SOMNAMBULISM    OR    SLEEP-WALKING. 

from  time  to  time  met  with  cases  of  sleep-walking  among  his 
boys,  and  that  he  can  not  recall  a  single  instance  in  which  he 
has  failed  to  effect  a  cure.  He  thinks  he  owed  the  idea  to  some 
observations  in  Upham's  Mental  Philosophy.  He  thus  writes: 
Shortly  before  the  sleep-walker's  usual  time  of  going  to  bed,  I 
call  him  to  one  side  and  say  in  a  serious  tone:  'Henry,  I  find 
you  were  out  of  bed,  and  making  a  disturbance  in  your  room, 
last  night.'  '  Sir,'  he  replies,  '  I  was  asleep ;  I  know  nothing 
about  it ! '  Then  I  say,  '  I  \vill  say  nothing  more  about  it  on 
this  occasion,  but  such  a  thing  must  not  occur  again.'  '  But,  sir, 
I  could  not  help  it.  I  was  asleep.'  '  Well,'  I  respond,  '  you 
hear  what  I  say.  I  would  not  advise  you  to  let  it  occur  again.' 
The  boy  leaves  me,  possibly  with  the  feeling  that  he  is  some- 
what hardly  dealt  with,  but  with  an  established  motive  for 
checking  the  tendency  to  somnambulism,  a  motive  which 
doubtless  will  continue  to  actuate  him,  even  in  sleep." 

A  lad  of  eight,  very  fond  of  his  rocking-horse,  got  up  in 
his  sleep,  went  into  the  nursery  and  mounted  it.  The  motion 
of  the  ride  awoke  him,  and  he  was  astonished  to  find  himself 
thus  engaged. 

One  boy  who  is  more  intelligent  than  the  others,  told 
Dr.  Beach,  that  another  boy  got  out  of  the  bed  one  night  and 
offered  to  fight,  and  that  the  boy's  eyes  were  open.  He  pulled 
this  boy  back  to  bed,  and  asked  him  next  morning  what  he 
wanted  to  fight  him  for,  and  the  lad  replied  that  he  had  nightmare. 

A  girl,  about  twelve  years  old,  walked  in  her  sleep,  the  only 
occasion,  as  she  believes,  in  her  life.  She  was  at  the  time  at 
school,  and  had  a  quarrel  with  a  schoolfellow  on  the  previous 
day.  She  arose  from  her  bed  in  her  sleep,  whether  or  not  after 
a  dream  is  not  known,  and  proceeded  to  the  bed  of  the  other 
girl,  and  then  violently  pulled  her  hair.  The  assaulted  girl 
called  out  lustily,  when  assistance  arrived,  and  the  unconscious 
assaulter  was  discovered  to  be  in  a  state  of  somnambulism.  On 
awaking  she  knew  nothing  whatever  of  what  had  happened. 


NATURAL    SOMNAMBULISM    OR    SLEEP-WALKING.  225 

Dr.  Ireland,  in  reply  to  my  inquiries,  has  sent  me  only  one 
case,  and  that  was  in  a  most  intelligent  imbecile  who  was  sub- 
ject to  severe  epileptic  fits.  He  had  dyschoramatopsia,  being 
quite  unable  to  distinguish  colors.  He  could  speak  freely  on 
ordinary  subjects.  One  evening  he  walked  up  stairs  in  a  state 
of  somnambulism,  and  went  to  the  right  bed.  One  day  in  the 
school,  he  suddenly  ceased  attending  to  what  was  going  on,  then 
left  his  seat  and  walked  about,  regardless  of  the  remarks  of  the 
other  boys,  and  what  was  said  to  him.  When  he  awoke  he 
was  quite  oblivious  of  what  he  had  done.  He  also  walked  in 
his  sleep  in  the  night,  but  awoke  so  quickly  that  Dr.  Ireland  was 
unable  to  see  him  in  time. 

Yet  what  did  the  celebrated  Foderi  say  as  to  the  criminal 
responsibility  of  somnambulists?  He  pronounced  them  to  be 
culpable.  "  It  seems  to  me,"  he  writes,  "  that  a  man  who  has 
committed  a  bad  action  during  sleep  is  not  wholly  inexcusable, 
since  in  accordance  with  most  observations,  he  is  only  execut- 
ing the  plans  which  occupied  his  mind  when  awake.  He,  in 
short,  whose  conduct  is  always  in  relation  to  his  social  duties, 
does  not  belie  his  character  when  he  is  alone  with  his  soul.  He 
on  the  contrary,  who  only  thinks  of  crimes,  deceit  and  ven- 
geance, displays  during  sleep  the  recesses  of  his  depraved  inclin- 
ation which  external  circumstances  had  restrained  when  awake. 
If  such  a  man  then  commits  a  crime,  and  he  is  a  suspicious 
character,  one  is  justified,  it  seems  to  me,  in  considering  this 
crime  as  a  natural  consequence  of  the  immoral  character  of  his 
ideas  and  one  should  judge  this  action  as  all  the  more  free,  in 
that  it  has  been  committed  without  any  constraint  or  particular 
influence.  Far  from  considering  these  acts  insane,  I  regard 
them  as  the  most  voluntary  that  can  be  witnessed  in  human 
nature." 

Macario  records  a  case  of  sleep-walking  in  an  old  woman 
of  eighty-one. 


226          NATURAL    SOMNAMBULISM    OR    SLEEP-WALKING. 

SLEEP-WALKING. 

BY   JAMES    ESDAILE,    M.    D.,    CIVIL    ASSISTANT    SURGEON, 
H.    C.    S.,    BENGAL,    INDIA. 

Sometimes  one  or  more  senses  remain  active  after  the  others 
have  gone  to  rest ;  the  wants  of  the  waking  organ  are  trans- 
mitted to  the  sensorium,  and  are  followed  by  an  effort  of  the 
the  will  to  gratify  them.  The  sleeper  rises  and  performs  the 
actions  necessary  to  satisfy  his  desires ;  eye-sight  to  a  small  ex- 
tent, usually  assists ;  if  not,  hearing  and  touch  come  to  his  aid, 
and  guide  him  with  singular  accuracy  in  known  localities.  I 
may  here  give  an  illustration  from  my  own  experience,  of  the 
preternatural  acuteness  of  hearing,  developed  to  aid  the  som- 
nambulist in  getting  out  of  his  troubles.  In  my  youth  I  was 
an  eager  sportsman,  by  flood  and  field,  and  one  night  after  a 
fatiguing  day's  sport,  I  found  myself  in  the  middle  of  the  room 
and  very  cold,  but  could  not  possibly  contrive  to  get  back  to  bed 
again.  My  last  waking  impression  was  made  by  the  ticking  of 
my  watch  under  the  pillow,  and  this  recollection  came  to  revive 
me  from  my  difficulties.  After  the  most  mature  reflection,  it  oc- 
curred to  me  that  if  I  could  only  detect  my  watch  by  its  ticking 
I  should  also  find  my  bed.  Acting  upon  this  happy  idea,  I 
hunted  my  watch  by  ear,  till  I  actually  found  it  and  got  into 
bed  again,  as  the  reward  of  sound  reasoning  and  perseverance. 

I  may  also  here  notice  a  similar  instance  which  occurred  to 
my  brother,  a  clergyman  in  Scotland.  I  give  it  in  his  own 
words  :  "  Returning  to  London,  after  a  tedious  and  dangerous  voy- 
age from  the  continent,  I  retired  to  bed  shortly  after  reaching  my 
hotel.  I  had  taken  possession  of  a  spacious  apartment,  in  which 
were  two  beds,  of  which  only  one  was  occupied.  I  soon  fell 
asleep,  as  I  thought,  but  in  a  short  time  I  left  my  bed,  and  wan- 
dered about  in  the  greatest  perplexity,  under  the  idea  that  I  was 
still  on  board  the  foreign  steamer,  which  I  recently  left.  I 
went  from  berth  to  berth,  as  I  conceived,  beseeching  all 


NATURAL    SOMNAMBULISM    OR    SLEEP-WALKING.  227 

to  show  me  my  own  berth.  At  last  I  came  in  contact  with 
the  empty  bed,  and  creeping  over  it,  got  in  between  it  and  the 
wall.  I  was  long  in  getting  out  of  this  new  dilemma,  and  re- 
suming my  applications  to  the  numerous  sleepers  by  whom  I 
fancied  myself  surrounded.  I  remember  well  one  part  of  the 
affair,  which  filled  me  with  the'  greatest  trepidation.  I  came 
up  to  a  small  table,  on  which  I  distinctly  heard  a  watch  ticking. 
The  idea  came  into  my  head  that  should  the  owner  awake  and 
find  me  in  such  a  suspicious  proximity  to  his  watch,  he  would 
denounce  me  as  a  thief.  I  spoke  long  and  eloquently,  rebuking 
the  base  suspicion,  but  the  sleeper  remaining  unmoved,  I  passed 
about  in  despair.  I  came  to  the  door,  but  having  locked  it,  it 
did  not  yield  to  my  attempt  at  opening,  but  on  coming  to  the 
window  I  drew  up  the  blind,  and  was  still  more  bewildered  on 
seeing  the  mighty  mass  of  London  spread  out  before  me.  The 
light  of  the  moon,  however,  striking  on  the  watch  was  at  last 
the  means  of  restoring  me  to  the  full  use  of  my  senses.  It  sud- 
denly occurred  to  me  that  the  watch  was  my  own.  I  instantly 
seized  it  and  forthwith  was  wide  awake.  I  was  in  the  middle 
of  the  room  and  in  a  cold  sweat.  A  considerable  time  must 
have  elapsed  during  the  occurrences  above  described,  and  the 
curious  thing  is  that  my  eyes  were  wide  open  the  whole  time. 
I  spoke  only  French  and  that  with  the  greatest  volubility." 


SLEEP-WALKING. 

BY    WINHART,    THE    WELL-KNOWN    GERMAN     PHYSICIAN 
AND     SCIENTIST. 

The  sleep-walker,  when  otherwise  healthy,  falls  at  a  parti- 
cular period  into  a  common  sleep,  which  cannot  be  distinguished 
from  the  natural  state  of  repose.  After  a  longer  or  shorter 
time,  he  rises  from  his  couch  and  walks  about  the  room — some- 
times about  the  house.  He  frequently  goes  out  into  the  open 


2.>8          NATURAL    SOMNAMBULISM    OR    SLEEP-W ALKIXG. 

air,  walks  upon  known  and  unknown  paths  as  quickly  and  with 
as  much  activity  and  confidence  as  in  his  waking  state ;  avoids 
all  obstacles  which  may  stand,  or  have  been  designedly  placed 
in  his  route,  and  makes  his  way  along  rugged  paths,  and  climbs 
dangerous  heights  which  he  would  never  think  of  attempt- 
ing when  awake.  He  reads  printed  and  written  papers,  writes 
as  well  and  correctly  as  in  his  waking  state,  and  performs  many 
other  operations  requiring  light  and  the  natural  use  of  the  eyes. 
All  those  actions,  however,  are  performed  by  the  somnambulist 
in  complete  darkness  as  well  as  when  awake,  and  generally  with 
his  eyes  firmly  closed.  When  the  period  of  his  somnambulism 
has  elapsed,  he  returns  to  his  bed,  falls  back  again  into  his  nat- 
ural sleep,  awakes  at  his  natural  hour,  and  in  most  instances, 
knows  nothing  of  what  he  has  done  in  his  sleep-walking  state. 
At  the  same  time,  there  are  very  few  persons  who  exhibit  all 
of  these  phenomena,  or  even  the  greater  number  of  them.  For 
the  most  part,  they  only  wander  about  without  any  other  pecu- 
liar manifestations ;  and  the  instances  in  which  several  of  the 
phenomena  in  question  are  exhibited  are  rare. 

A  very  remarkable  case  from  the  "Breslau  Medical  Collec- 
tions." It  relates  to  a  rope-maker  who  was  frequently  over- 
taken by  sleep,  even  in  the  day  time  and  in  the  midst  of  his 
usual  occupations.  While  in  this  state,  he  sometimes  re-com- 
menced doing  all  that  he  had  been  engaged  in  doing  the  previous 
part  of  the  day  ;  at  other  times  he  would  continue  the  work  in 
which  he  happened  to  be  engaged  at  the  commencement  of  the 
paroxysm,  and  finished  his  business  with  as  great  ease  and  suc- 
cess as  when  awake.  When  the  fit  overtook  him  in  traveling, 
he  proceeded  on  his  journey  with  the  same  facility,  and  almost 
faster  than  when  awake,  without  missing  the  road  or  stumbling 
over  anything.  In  this  manner  he  repeatedly  went  from  Nur- 
emberg to  Weimar.  Upon  one  of  these  occasions  he  came  into 
a  narrow  lane  where  there  lay  some  timber.  He  passed  over  it 
regularly  without  injury,  and  with  equal  dexterity  he  avoided 


NATURAL    SOMNAMBULISM    OR    SLEEP-WALKING.  229 

the  horses  and  carriages  that  came  in  his  way.  At  another 
time  he  was  overtaken  by  sleep  just  as  he  was  about  to  set  out 
for  Weimar  on  horseback.  He  rode  through  the  river  lime, 
allowed  his  horse  to  drink,  and  drew  up  his  legs  to  prevent 
them  getting  wet,  then  passed  through  several  streets,  crossed 
the  market  place,  which  was  at  that  time  full  of  people,  carts 
and  booths,  and  arrived  in  safety  at  the  home  of  an  acquaint- 
ance, when  he  awoke.  These  and  many  similar  acts  requiring 
the  use  of  the  eyes,  he  performed  in  darkness  as  well  as  by  day- 
light. His  eyes,  however,  were  firmly  closed  and  he  could  not 
see  when  they  were  forced  open  and  stimulated  by  light  brought 
near  them.  His  other  senses  appeared  to  be  equally  dormant 
as  were  his  eyes.  He  could  not  smell  the  most  volatile  spirit. 
He  felt  nothing  when  pinched,  pricked  or  struck.  He  heard 
nothing  when  called  by  his  name,  or  even  when  a  pistol  was 
discharged  close  beside  him. 

There  is  another  case,  somewhat  older,  observed  and  circum- 
stantially reported  by  a  trustworthy  physician,  Dr.  Knoll,  which 
equally  deserves  our  attention.  The  subject  of  his  observation 
was  a  voung  man,  a  gardener,  who  became  somnambulous,  and 
while  in  that  state  performed  many  extraordinary  operations. 
He  generally  fell  asleep  about  8  o'clock  in  the  evening  and  then 
began  to  utter  devotional  sentences  and  prayers.  Afterwards 
he  went  out  of  the  house,  clambered  over  a  high  wooden  parti- 
tion and  a  still  higher  wall,  uninjured,  passed  through  several 
streets  and  returned.  At  another  time  he  climbed  up  to  the 
roof  of  the  house  and  rode  astride  upon  the  ridge,  as  if  upon 
horseback,  clambered  about  for  some  time  upon  the  roof,  and  at 
length  descended  in  safety.  With  a  view  to  prevent  accidents, 
he  was  locked  up  in  a  room  and  watched.  When  he  became 
somnambulous,  at  the  usual  time,  he  began  to  perform  all  sorts 
of  operations  with  his  clothes  and  the  furniture  of  the  room.  lie 
climbed  up  to  the  window  sill,  and  from  thence  to  a  stone 
which  was  much  higher  and  at  some  distance,  and  rode  upon 


230          NATURAL    SOMNAMBULISM    OR    SLEEP-WALKING. 

the  latter  as  if  upon  a  horse.  The  height  of  the  stone,  the  dis- 
tance from  the  window,  and  its  small  breadth,  were  such  that 
a  person  awake  would  scarcely  have  ventured  to  attempt  these 
operations.  After  descending  from  the  stone,  he  knocked  a 
large  table  about  hither  and  thither,  and  finding  it  was  likely  to 
fall  on  him,  he  very  dexterously  contrived  to  evade  it.  He 
gathered  together  all  the  clothes  he  could  find  in  the  room, 
mixed  them  together,  then  separated  them  carefully  and  hung 
them  up,  each  article  in  its  proper  place.  The  old  stockings 
and  shoes  he  endeavored  to  arrange  in  pairs,  according  to  their 
shape  and  color,  as  if  he  actually  saw  them.  He  then  laid  hold 
of  a  needle,  which  he  had  stuck  in  the  wall  some  weeks  before, 
and  sewed  his  small-clothes.  Besides  these,  he  performed  a 
variety  of  other  operations,  all  requiring  the  light  and  the  use  of 
the  eyes,  with  which  it  would  appear,  he  was  enabled  to 
dispense. 

Furthermore,  I  may  refer  to  the  case  observed  by  the  Arch- 
bishop of  Bordeaux,  and  reported  in  the  great  French  Ency- 
clopedia. It  is  the  case  of  a  young  ecclesiastic,  in  the  same 
seminary  with  the  Archbishop,  who  was  in  the  habit  of  get- 
ting up  during  the  night  in  a  state  of  somnambulism,  of  going 
to  his  room,  taking  pen,  ink,  and  paper,  and  composing  and 
writing  sermons.  When  he  had  finished  one  page  of  the  paper 
on  which  he  was  writing,  he  would  read  over  what  he  had 
written  and  correct  it.  Upon  one  occasion  he  had  made  use  of 
the  expression  "  ce  divin  enfant"  In  reading  over  the  passage 
he  changed  the  adjective  "divin"  into  "  adorable."  Perceiving, 
however,  that  the  pronoun  "  ce"  could  not  stand  before  the  word 
"adorable,"  he  added  to  the  former  the  letter  "  t."  In  order  to 
ascertain  whether  the  somnambulist  made  really  any  use  of  his 
eyes,  the  Archbishop  held  a  piece  of  pasteboard  under  his  chin 
to  prevent  him  from  seeing  the  paper  on  which  he  was  writing, 
but  he  continued  to  \vrite  on  without  appearing  to  be  incom- 
moded in  the  slightest  degree. 


NATURAL    SOMNAMBULISM    OR    SLEEP-WALKING.  231 

The  paper  on  which  he  was  writing  was  taken  away,  but 
the  somnambulist  immediately  perceived  the  change.  He  wrote 
pieces  of  music  while  in  this  state,  and  in  the  same  manner  with 
his  eyes  closed.  The  words  were  placed  under  the  musical 
notes.  It  happened  upon  one  occasion  that  the  words  were 
written  in  too  large  a  character,  and  did  not  stand  precisely  un- 
der the  corresponding  notes.  He  soon  perceived  the  error, 
blotted  out  the  part,  and  wrote  it  over  again  with  great  exact- 
ness. 

I  hope  that  these  examples,  to  which  I  might  add  a  great 
many  others,  will  be  sufficient  to  show  that  the  somnambulist, 
during  this  extraordinary  state,  is  enabled,  apparently  without 
the  use  of  his  eyes,  to  receive  impressions  equally  well,  or,  at 
least,  with  the  same  consequences  to  his  perceptive  faculty  as 
when  awake. 


SLEEP-WALKING. 

FREAK     OF      A     SOMNAMBULIST HE      GETS      HIS      KNIFE      AND 

STARTS    TO    DISSECT    HIS    ROOMMATE    WHILE    ASLEEP. 

A  somnambulist  sometimes  does  queer  things,  and  here  is 
one  of  the  queerest  things  a  somnambulist  ever  did  :  Mr.  Roe 
Edwards,  a  traveling  salesman  for  Moor,  Marsh  &  Co.,  is  as 
well  known  through  south  and  southwest  Georgia  as  any  gen- 
tleman on  the  road,  says  the  Atlanta  Constitution.  For  years 
he  traveled  for  Seisel  &  Hech,  of  Macon,  and  during  that  time 
it  was  a  crime  for  any  man  in  that  section  of  the  state  to  wear 
a  hat  not  sold  by  Mr.  Edwards.  But  now  people  will  begin  to 
wonder  whether  Mr.  Edwards  was  awake  or  asleep  when  he 
sold  those  hats.  Among  Mr.  Edward's  many  acquaintances  is 
Mr.  Will  Johnson,  who  is  known  from  Atlanta  to  Richmond 
as  a  traveling  salesman  f or  J.  W.  £  E.  C.  Atkins.  It  was  Mr. 
Johnson  who  discovered  that  Mr.  Edwards  was  a  somnambu- 
list. The  discovery  was  a  startling  revelation  to  both  gentle- 


23-  ,       NATURAL    SOMNAMBULISM    OR    SLEEP-WALKIXG. 

men.  A  day  or  two  ago  Mr.  Edwards  casually  met  on  the 
street  an  old  friend  from  Webster  county,  who  is  now  attending 
lectures  at  the  Atlanta  Medical  college.  Mr.  Edward's  friend 
was  none  other  than  "William  Terry,  a  bright  and  promising 
young  man.  The  meeting  was  an  agreeable  surprise  to  both 
gentlemen,  and  as  they  separated  Mr.  Edwards  said  : 

"  Terry,  we  haven't  met  since  I  sold  a  big  bill  of  hats  in  your 
town,  and  I  want  to  talk  with  you.  Suppose  you  come  and 
pass  the  night  with  me?" 

Mr.  Terry,  who  will  soon  be  a  full-fledged  doctor,  accepted 
the  invitation,  and  that  evening  met  Mr.  Johnson.  The  next 
morning,  as  Mr.  Terry  was  leaving,  he  said: 

"  Roe,  I  have  been  talking  to  you  about  the  science  of  med- 
icine. Have  you  ever  been  in  a  dissecting-room?" 

"  Xo,  I  haven't,"  answered  the  drummer. 

"Would  you  like  to  see  one?" 

"You  bet  I  would." 

"  Then  if  you'll  meet  me  at  I  o'clock  I'll  see  that  you  get  a 
chance  to  go  through  a  room  full  of  dead  bodies  all  under  the 
knife." 

Mr.  Edwards  asked  Mr.  Perry  to  call  at  the  store  for  him, 
and  at  the  appointed  time  the  medical  student  was  there.  The 
two  friends  went  to  the  college  and  through  the  lecture  rooms, 
and  then  into  the  dissecting  room.  As  they  entered  the  door 
Mr.  Perry  turned  to  his  friend  with  a  smile,  saying  : 

"  Now,  Roe,  don't  faint,  or  I'll  have  you  for  my  first  pa- 
tient." 

"That  threat  is  sufficient,"  said  Mr.  Edwards,  "to  prevent 
the  weakest  woman  from  fainting." 

The  interior  of  the  dissecting  room  did  not  seem  to  affect 
Mr.  Edwards,  except  to  interest  him.  There  were  fifty  or 
sixty  students  in  the  room,  who  were  working  upon  a  dozen 
subjects  with  the  knife.  The  drummer  looked  at  the  work 
carefully  and  commented  upon  it. 


NATURAL    SOMNAMBULISM    OR    SLEEP-WALKING.  233 

That  night  Mr.  Edwards,  with  his  friend  Mr.  Johnson, 
went  to  De  Give's.  "  Around  the  World  in  Eighty  Days"  was 
on  the  boards,  and  was  interesting  to  Mr.  Johnson,  but  Mr. 
Edwards  wore  an  abstracted  air  during  the  performance.  As 
the  two  gentlemen  were  walking  home  Mr.  Johnson  said  : 

"  How  did  you  enjoy  the  show,  Roe  ?  " 

"  I  did  not  enjoy  it  much,"  answered  Mr.  Edwards,  "  for  I 
could  not  get  that  blamed  dissecting  room  off  my  mind  ten 
minutes.  The  more  I  think  about  it  the  more  vivid  those  sub- 
jects appear  to  me.  The  first  thing  I  thought  of  when  the 
duelists  started  to  fight  was  if  they  would  both  be  killed  they 
would  be  fine  subjects  for  dissecting.  When  the  sutler  was 
rescued  and  the  priest  shot,  I  thought  that  the  medical  institute 
would  like  to  get  hold  of  him,  and  again,  where  all  the  Indians 
were  killed  I  would  think  if  that  college  could  secure  their 
bodies  they  would  have  subjects  enough  to  last  them  some  time, 
and  it  was  just  that  way  throughout  the  entire  play." 

After  reaching  home  the  two  gentlemen  retired.  They  oc- 
cupied the  same  room,  and  in  a  short  time  they  were  both 
asleep  and  dreaming.  Mr.  Edwards'  dreams,  however,  carried 
him  back  to  the  dissecting  room,  and,  thinking  he  was  a  doctor, 
he  began  glancing  at  his  knife.  In  his  overcoat  pocket  Mr. 
Edwards  carried  a  pair  of  gloves.  In  the  dissecting  room  he 
observed  that  students  used  gloves,  and,  arising,  he  secured  the 
gloves  and  drew  them  on.  Then  his  dream  went  or.. 
But  the  dream  was  fast  approaching  reality.  Just  why 
Mr.  Edwards'  mind  in  his  dream  turned  to  a  scientific 
explanation  of  the  ear  cannnot  be  told,  but  it  did.  After  put- 
ting on  his  gloves  and  securing  his  knife,  he  approached  the 
bed  upon  which  his  friend,  Mr.  Johnson  was  asleep.  As  he 
walked  up  to  the  bed  his  mind  appeared  to  be  saying  : 

"  Oh,  here's  that  dissecting  table  and  here's  the  subject." 

Then  he  reached  down,  and,  catching  Mr.  Johnson's  ear 
with  one  hand,  held  the  knife  up  with  the  other.  lie  began 


234          NATURAL    SOMNAMBULISM    OR    SLEEP-WALKING. 

hunting  for  the  part  which  distinguished   sound,  thinking  to 
himself : 

"  I'll  see  why  people  are  deaf." 

The  knife-blade  touched  the  ear  and  Mr.  Johnson  awoke 
with  a  jump.  He  then  threw  his  hand  to  his  head  as  he  arose, 
and  drew  it  away  covered  with  blood.  At  the  same  time  he 
observed  Mr.  Edwards  standing  beside  his  bed,  knife  in  hand 
His  eyes  were  wide  open,  but  there  was  a  peculiar  gaze  in  them. 

"What  in  the  name  of  God  is  the  matter?"  asked  Mr. 
Johnson. 

"  I  am  going  to  dissect  this  body,"  said  Mr.  Edwards  in  an 
even  tone. 

Mr.  Johnson  sprang  from  his  bed,  and,  grabbing  his 
friend  by  the  shoulders,  exclaimed : 

"  Edwards  !   Edwards  !   What's  the  matter?" 

Mr.  Ed-wards  did  not  move,  and  in  an  instant  Mr.  Johnson 
realized  that  his  friend  was  in  a  somnambulistic  state.  Gather- 
ing him  by  the  shoulders  again,  Mr.  Johnson  gave  Mr.  Edwards 
a  shake. 

"Oh!"  said  Mr.  Edwards,  pleasantly,  "boys,  this  corpse 
has  come  to." 

Mr.  Johnson  continued  to  shake  his  bedfellow,  and  finally 
succeeded  in  awaking  him.  The  situation  was  a  painful  one  to 
Mr.  Edwards,  and,  turning  his  knife  over  to  his  friend,  he  said: 

"  Take  this,  and  I'll  tie  myself  to  the  bed." 

He  then  tied  his  feet  to  the  bed  with  his  suspenders,  but 
could  not  sleep  again. 


CHAPTER    XII. 


INTRODUCTION  OF  HYPNOTISM  IN  CHICAGO. 

HYPNOTISM        INTRODUCED        INTO       WELL-KNOWN        CHICAGO 

RESIDENCES IT   IS   NOW  APPRECIATED  AND  UNDERSTOOD 

NOT    MERELY    AS    A    MEANS    OF    ENTERTAINMENT; 

BUT  IT  IS  ALSO  RECOGNIZED  AND  RECOMMENDED 

AS    A    METHOD    BY    WHICH    NUMEROUS 

DISEASES       ARE       CURED. 

I. 

My  first  private  seance  in  Chicago  took  place  at  the  resi- 
dence of  Mr.  Robert  Lindblom,  the  noted  Board  of  Trade  ope- 
rator who  is  widely  known  as  a  man  of  liberal  ideas,  progres- 
sive thought,  and  one  -who  takes  a  great  interest  in  everything 
new  in  the  field  of  economics,  science  and  art.  Shortly  after 
my  arrival  in  Chicago  I  was  introduced  to  this  gentleman,  and 
later  I  received  a  very  courteous  invitation  to  spend  the  even- 
ing with  his  family.  The  hearty  reception  from  Mr.  Lindblom 
and  his  family  in  their  hospitable  home,  soon  put  me  in  the  best 
disposition,  and  the  cordial  amiability  of  all  present  gave  perfect 
condition.  This  culminated  when  Mr.  Lindblom  ordered  in  the 
champagne,  and,  lifting  his  glass  during  an  elegant  speech, 
bade  me  welcome  to  the  "land  of  the  free,"  while  extending  his 
wishes  for  my  future  success  and  prosperity. 

My  hospitable  host  endeavored  to  keep  hypnotism  out  of  the 
conversation  (in  order  to  oblige  me  as  a  guest),  but  it  was  all  in 
vain,  for  the  inquisitiveness  of  those  present  gradually  became 
more  pressing.  The  result  was  that  I  was  asked  to  perform  a 

235 


INTRODUCTION    OF    HYPNOTISM    IN    CHICAGO.  237 

few  hypnotic  experiments.  To  secure  the  necessary  subject 
proved  rather  difficult ;  for  the  ladies  were  afraid,  and  the  gen- 
tlemen simply  would  not  submit  themselves.  The  interest  in 
the  matter  was  not  diminished  ;  but  everyone  would  be  a  spec- 
tator, and  no  one  cared  to  be  the  subject. 

At  last  we  found  a  trial  subject — an  elderly,  well  known 
gentleman,  Captain  S.,  a  friend  of  the  family, who  consented  to 
submit  himself  to  my  proceedings.  Captain  S.  was  a  little  past 
sixty  years,  and  had  been  an  artillery  captain  in  the  Northern  army 
during  the  late  war.  His  health  was  not  good,  as  he  had  a 
poor  appetite  and  suffered  from  insomnia  and  attacks  of  melan- 
cholia. Dr.  Pratt  and  Dr.  Johnson,  well-known  Chicago 
physicians,  both  of  whom  had  frequently  treated  the  captain, 
were  present;  and  they  asked  him  repeatedly  to  yield  to 
the  trial.  I  was  of  course  willing,  although  I  stated  that  a 
young  person  would  have  been  preferable,  especially  in  con- 
sideration of  the  captain's  hesitation.  Those  present  grouped 
themselves  at  a  safe  distance  from  my  dreaded  proximity,  and 
anxiously  awaited  the  result.  I  asked  the  captain  to  take  a  seat 
in  a  comfortable  chair;  to  give  himself  up  entirely  to  my  influ- 
ence, to  be  utterly  passive  for  about  ten  minutes  and  to  remain 
in  the  position  in  which  I  first  placed  him.  Mr.  Lorenzo  Fager- 
steen  took  his  place  at  the  piano  and  played  masterly  Chopin's 
mourning  march,  which  soon  brought  about  the  veal  hypnotic 
mood;  even  the  good-humored  captain  was  seemingly  impressed 
and  influenced  by  the  music.  During  the  music,  I  seized  the 
occasion  to  perform  my  manipulations.  After  a  lapse  of  about 
five  minutes  the  captain's  head  dropped  upon  his  chest,  and  loud 
snoring  announced  that  he  had  entered  upon  a  deep  hypnotic 
sleep.  The  party  now  formed  a  circle  around  me  and  the  sub- 
ject. Commencing,  I  outstretched  the  captain's  left  arm,  made 
a  few  passes  from  his  forehead  down  to  his  finger  tips,  thereby 
making  it  impossible  for  him  to  lower  his  arm.  With  his  arm 
outstretched  on  a  level  with  the  shoulder,  the  capta:n  made 


238 


INTRODUCTION    OF    HYPNOTISM    IN    CHICAGO. 


every  effort  to  force  it  clown,  but  in  vain.  The  cataleptic  con- 
dition ceased  instantly  upon  a  couple  of  manipulations.  By  a 
slight  touch  of  his  forehead  I  made  it  impossible  for  him  to 
answer  my  questions  ;  likewise  by  a  few  passes  I  prevented  him 
from  closing-  or  opening  his  eyelids  according  to  my  wishes.  In 
spite  of  all  his  efforts  he  was  not  able  to  leave  his  seat.  The 


THE    SUBJECT    HAS    FORGOTTEN    HER    NAME. 

quick  beating  of  his  heart  I  made  normal  simply  by  placing  my 
right  hand  over  his  heart,  the  left  on  his  forehead,  at  the  same 
time  suggesting  the  heart  to  beat  slower  and  slower  until  it 
finally  would  be  normal.  Several  other  experiments  were  then 
presented,  but  the  most  interesting  was  the  last  suggestion 


INTRODUCTION    OF    HYPNOTISM    IN    CHICAGO.  239 

given  to  the  captain  before  his  awakening.  I  suggested  to  him 
that  he  in  the  future  should  retire  every  evening  at  10  o'clock, 
when  no  necsssary  business  prevented  him  doing  so ;  that  he 
should  enjoy  a  comfortable  night's  sleep,  wake  up  in  the  morn- 
ing at  7  o'clock  and  feel  himself  hearty  and  strengthened.  The 
suggestion  was  repeated  a  couple  of  times  in  order  to  deepen 
the  effect.  Furthermore,  I  suggested  to  him  that  a  few  minutes 
after  being  awake,  he  should  approach  his  old  friend  Mr.  Lind- 
blom,  heartily  shake  hands  with  him,  and  tell  him  that  the  cap- 
tain was  feeling  exceptionally  well.  This  was  all  accomplished 
in  every  detail — after  the  cessation  of  the  hypnotic  sleep.  The 
captain's  wife  also  being  present,  was  somewhat  anxious  when 
her  husband  submitted  himself  to  the  experiment,  because  she 
believed  hypnotism  to  be  dangerous  to  him — either  it  would  in- 
jure his  svstem,  or  that  possibly  he  could  not  be  released  again 
from  the  condition.  She  was  fully  relieved  when  she  saw  her 
husband  in  the  happiest  of  moods,  feeling  even  better  than  he 
did  before  the  hypnotization.  With  regard  to  my  suggestions 
concerning  humor,  sleep  and  appetite,  they  all  brought  the  best 
result.  Mr.  Pfeiffer,  representative  for  the  Chicago  Tribune, 
who  was  also  present,  had  asked  me  to  perform  the  post-hyp- 
notic experiment,  as  to  what  the  captain  should  do  after  being 
awake.  When  the  experiment  was  performed  in  close  con- 
formity with  the  order  given,  Mr.  Pfeiffer  was  seemingly  very 
much  pleased.  Mr.  Pfeiffer  declared  that  he  had  been  highly 
interested  in  my  experiments,  and  that  they  had  far  surpassed 
his  expectations. 

II. 

My  next  seance  was  at  the  home  of  the  well-known 
merchant,  Fritz  Frantzen.  Among  those  present  were 
B.  Meyer,  M.  D.,  A.  Doe,  M.  D.,  Louis  Pio,  editor,  C.  F. 
Bryhn,  editor.  In  the  course  of  the  evening  two  persons  were 
put  into  the  hypnotic  sleep,  one  of  these  being  Miss  P.,  a  rela- 


240  INTRODUCTION    OF    HYPNOTISM    IN    CHICAGO. 

tive  of  Mrs.  F.  Frantzen.  With  her  I  performed  a  line  of  gen- 
eral experiments,  one  of  which  was  that,  through  my  sugges- 
tions, she  for  about  fifteen  minutes  believed  herself  to  be  the 
famous  Diva  Adelina  Patti,  from  whose  repertoire  she  gave 
several  numbers  in  such  a  remarkably  attractive  and  fascinating 
manner  that,  even  with  her  splendid  voice,  she  could  not  repeat 
when  awake.  The  other  subject  was  a  young  man,  twenty-one 
years  of  age,  employed  with  Mr.  Frantzen.  My  first  attempt 


DRAWING    THE    SUBJECT    BACKWARDS. 

with  him  failed ;  upon  repeating  it  I  brought  him  completely 
under  control.  During  his  hypnotic  condition  he  enjoyed  for 
about  half  an  hour  the  happy  belief  that  he  was  first  Napo- 
leon the  first,  then  the  president  of  the  United  States.  While 
this  happy  inspiration  lasted  he  diverted  us  with  speeches,  either 
as  Napoleon  speaking  to  his  soldiers  or  as  the  president  in 
the  council  of  his  cabinet  officers.  The  young  lady,  who  often 


INTRODUCTION    OF    HYPNOTISM    IN    CHICAGO.  24! 

suffered  from  headache  and  who,  before  the  hypnotic  action, 
complained  thereof,  when  awaked  from  the  hypnotic  condition, 
declared  herself  completely  relieved. 

III. 

My  third  hypnotic  seance  in  Chicago  was  with  the  late 
Colonel  John  C.  Bundy,  editor  of  the  Relig to- Philosophical 
Journal,  This  seance  was  of  a  more  serious  nature,  as  it 
was  for  the  purpose  of  curing  a  sufferer.  Mr.  Bundy  and  his 
wife  both  took  a  living  interest  in  hypnotism  and  I  am  glad  to 
state  that  I  have  passed  several  enjoyable  evenings  in  this  com- 
fortable home,  where  our  conversation  mostly  concerned  hyp- 
notism and  related  phenomena.  An  interesting  proof  of  the 
curative  powers  of  hypnotism  can  be  found  in  the  following  : 
When  Mr.  Bundy's  servant  was  very  sick,  suffering  from 
fever  and  rheumatism,  I  was  sent  for  one  forenoon  about  10 
o'clock  in  order  to  aid  him  through  hypnotism.  As  soon  as  I 
entered  his  bedroom  I  took  a  stand  at  the  head  end  of  his  bed 
and  asked  him  to  look  steadily  at  my  eyes.  After  a  lapse  of 
four  minutes  he  was  entirely  under  my  influence.  I  then  placed 
his  limbs  in  different  positions,  which  he  was  unable  to  change. 
This  proved  the  presence  of  the  cataleptic  condition.  Sugges- 
tion was  then  given  him  that  he  inside  of  a  couple  of  hours 
should  feel  much  better,  desire  to  rise  from  bed,  eat  a  good 
meal  and  proceed  with  his  work  as  usual.  At  2  o'clock  p.  m. 
he  left  his  bed  lively  and  happy  and  soon  ate  his  dinner  with 
good  appetite.  At  4  p.  m.  he  was  able  to  perform  his  usual 
work,  being  in  such  good  humor  that  he  was  singing  and 
whistling  at  it. 

I  V. 

My  fourth  seance  in  Chicago  took  place  at  the  residence  of 
Mrs.  Papin,  2926  Michigan  ave.,  a  lady  well  known  in  Chicago 
society.  The  interest  of  my  experiments  in  this  centered  in  a 
young  man,  twenty-two  years  of  age,  who  was  then  first 


242  INTRODUCTION    OF    HYPNOTISM     IN    CHICAGO. 

brought  into  hypnotic  condition,  and  with  whom  I  performed  a 
number  of  different  and  very  interesting  experiments.  The 
young  man,  who  was  of  a  bashful  disposition,  maintained,  during 
the  entire  hypnose,  exactly  the  same  appearance.  Before  his 
hypnotization  the  ladies  served  refreshments,  and  he  was  asked 
whether  he  liked  tropical  fruits,  and  he  answered  "Yes." 
During  the  hypnose  I  presented  him  with  a  couple  of  raw  po- 
tatoes declaring  them  to  be  newly  imported  oranges  from  Mes- 
sina, at  the  same  time  asking  him  to  forego  all  formality  and 
eat  all  he  desired.  The  taste  and  delight  for  fruit  which  he  en- 
joyed in  a  normal  condition  was  not  diminished  during  the  hypnotic 
state.  It  was  my  intention  to  let  him  have  only  a  couple  of 
bites  of  the  potatoes ;  but  before  I  was  able  to  stop  him  he  had 
with  greedy  rapidity  swallowed  more  than  half  of  one  of  them. 
The  look  of  arrogance  and  satisfaction  he  gave  us  while  like  a 
gourmand  he  enjoyed  the  imagined  tropical  fruit  was  altogether 
comical.  An  emperor  at  his  table  could  not  act  with  more 
splendor  and  the  delight  he  showed  in  drinking  Lake  Michigan 
water  for  champagne  was  evident  as  the  effects  from  a  real  in- 
toxication did  not  fail  in  presenting  themselves. 

A  young  lady  who  had  formerly  been  hypnotized  was  now 
brought  under  influence.  I  performed  with  her  a  line  of  inter- 
esting experiments.  Among  other  things  she  gave  us  in  an 
interesting  and  entertaining  way  remarkable  answers  to  several 
inquiries  directed  to  her — answers  that  would  be  worthy  of  an 
oracle.  She  was  in  a  clairvoyant  condition.  One  of  the  first 
experiments  I  performed  with  her  was  to  give  her  the  idea  that 
she  was  in  a  garden  picking  flowers.  I  suggested  that  a  cer- 
tain flower  would  produce  sneezing  when  she  smelled  of  it,  and 
it  proved  to  be  the  case.  By  suggesting  to  her  that  she  was  out 
on  the  lake  sailing  in  stormy  and  tempestuous  weather,  all  the 
symptoms  of  a  beginning  sea-sickness  appeared  and  she  was 
awakened.  Another  young  lady  (a  relation  to  the  family)  was 
hypnotized.  It  took  me  seven  and  one-half  minutes  to  produce 


INTRODUCTION    OF    HYPNOTISM    IN    CHICAGO. 


243 


a  complete  hypnose.  Different  experiments  of  interest  were 
then  presented,  of  which  I  will  mention  that  after  being  placed 
on  a  certain  spot  she  had  no  ability  to  move;  and  she  could  not, 
in  spite  of  all  her  efforts,  open  her  clenched  hands.  It  is  of 
special  interest  to  remark  that  the  ladv,  during  the  hypnose, 


INHALES    WATER    AND    BELIEVES    IT    IS    AMMONIA. 

seemed  to  be  also  in  the  clairvoyant  state ;  for  I  noticed  that 
she  made  several  movements  which  I  thought  of  suggesting  to 
her,  and  this,  although  her  eyes  during  the  sleep  were  perfectly 
closed,  with  her  back  turned  on  me,  she  repeated,  with  close 
exactness,  my  different  attitudes  and  expressions,  the  different 


244  INTRODUCTION    OF    HYPNOTISM    IN    CHICAGO. 

moods  expressed  in  my  face.  As  the  family  was  very  anxious 
concerning  her  during  the  hypnose,  I,  in  accordance  with  their 
wishes,  caused  her  to  awake  after  these  experiments.  After 
being  awakened  she  declared  that  she  felt  remarkably  well. 


My  fifth  seance  was  given  at  the  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Babut,  the  well-known  French  family,  No.  274  La  Salle  ave- 
nue. Like  most  French  people  they  showed  a  living  interest  in 
hypnotism  (we  know  that  France  is  the  motherland  of  hypno- 
tism), and  I  had  the  pleasure  here  of  demonstrating  several  of 
those  wonders  reached  only  by  the  aid  of  hypnotism.  In  this 
hospitable  home  I  had  the  opportunity  of  experimenting  for 
once,  in  the  real  sense  of  the  word,  to  a  cosmopolitan  attend- 
ance, as  there  were  present  two  American  attorneys,  an  English 
judge,  a  French  physician,  an  Italian,  a  Russian,  an  Austrian, 
and  a  Dane.  Mr.  P.,  a  young  bookkeeper,  was  first  hypno- 
tized. After  having  performed  a  few  of  the  more  introductory 
experiments  one  of  the  guests  asked  me  whether  it  was  possible 
to  make  the  subject,  who  was  an  American  born  in  Philadel- 
phia, believe  that  he  was  really  a  native  of  France,  and  in  true 
accordance  herewith  get  the  bearing,  manners,  and  appearance 
of  a  real  Parisian  gentleman.  By  the  aid  of  suggestions  this 
was  successfully  done,  and  he  soon  thought  himself  an  officer 
and  then  believed  himself  speaking  for  the  ladies  at  a  dinner 
party.  At  other  moments  he  imagined  that  he  was  strolling 
along  the  gay  boulevards  of  modern  Paris.  Mr.  P.  was  then 
given  the  suggestion  for  a  shorter  time  that  he  was  a  Paris  bal- 
let-master, and  when  he  then  commenced,  at  my  order,  to  whirl 
around  in  the  most  daring  ballet  attitudes,  which  all  had  an  ap- 
pearance of  grace  and  elegance,  he  seemed  evidently  so  highly 
interested  in  his  new  dignity  that  it  was  only  at  the  expense  of 
much  time  and  continued  efforts  that  he  was  led  back  to  reality 
— once  more  to  be  the  serious  and  amiable  bookkeeper. 


INTRODUCTION    OF    HYPNOTISM    IN    CHICAGO. 


245 


A  young  lady,  Miss  M.,  a  delicate  blonde,  with  blue  eyes  and 
a  pale  complexion,  was  then  hypnotized,  and  was  the  subject  in 
a  number  of  interesting  experiments  following  each  other 
quickly.  It  was  suggested  to  her  that  she  saw  the  heavens 


THE    SUBJECT    DANCES  "  TA-RA-RA-BOM-DE-A  Y  "  WITH   HIS 
SWEETHEART. 

open,  and  kneeling  down,  with  outstretched  arms,  she  beheld 
with  a  reverent  gaze,  the  fancied  clouds  and  listened  with  ex- 
treme delight  to  the  angelic  music  that  was  suggested.  She  re- 
mained in  this  position  for  about  ten  or  twelve  minutes  without 


246 


INTRODUCTION    OF    HYPNOTISM     IN    CHICAGO. 


the  least  trembling  of  her  arms  to  betray  any  exhaustion  what- 
ever ;  on  the  contrary,  she  seemed  with  true  delight  to  enjoy 
her  vision.  Different  other  suggestions  were  then  given  her 


HYPNOTIZING    BY    PASSES    ONLY,    WITHOUT    TOUCHING    THE 

SUBJECT. 

and  the  result  was,  in  every  case,  excellent.     She   proved  to  be 
a  brilliant  subject.     The  last  suggestion,  according  to  which  she 


INTRODUCTION    OF    HYPNOTISM    IN    CHICAGO. 


247 


was  to  wake  up  at  a  certain  time,  was  also  successful.  Another 
young  lady,  Miss  C.  C.,  19  years  old,  with  a  lively  temper,  very 
dark  eyes  and  hair,  was  then  hypnotized.  The  young  lady  was 
French,  and  a  relative  of  one  of  the  families  present.  The 
hypnose  was  in  this  case  very  rapidly  produced.  By  the  aid  of 
the  fascination  method  I  commanded  her  suddenly  to  close  her 
eyelids  tight  and  sleep.  Then  I  made  a  few  passes  and  she  was 
completely  under  influence.  After  experimenting  for  a  while  I 
suggested  to  her  that  she,  at  a  certain  time  after  being  awake, 
should  suddenly  arise  from  her  seat,  walk  across  the  floor  in  the 


THE    SUBJECT    CANNOT    STRIKE. 

direction  of  Mr.  Krzisch,  give  him  her  hand  saying,  loudly  and 
distinctly,  "  How  do  you  do?"  This  all  came  to  pass  in  accord- 
ance with  the  instruction  given,  at  exactly  the  time  appointed, 
although  the  young  lady  was  not  aware  of  the  suggestion  and 
had  not  once  looked  at  her  watch. 

During  a  second   seance   at  the   residence  of  Mr.  R.  Lind- 
blom   four   persons  were   hypnotized.     Mr.  Lindblom  who,  as 


240  INTRODUCTION    OF    HYPNOTISM    IN    CHICAGO. 

above  stated,  took  a  great  interest  in  hypnotism,  had  in  the 
mean  time  taken  a  course  with  me  in  its  theory  and  practice,  and 
on  this  occasion  gave  an  illustration  of  his  skill  in  several  very 
interesting  and  successful  experiments. 

My  first  subject  was  a  young  mechanic,  with  whom  I  had  a 
perfect  success.     A  movement  of  my  hand,   and  he  could  not 


TELLING    OF    THE    ABSENT. 

remember  his  name.  With  my  arm  outstretched  and  my  hand 
clenched  I  asked  him  to  aim  well  and  hit  it;  but  in  spite  of  all 
his  efforts  it  was  impossible  for  him  to  do  so.  By  a  slight 
pressure  on  his  forehead  and  a  couple  of  manipulations  from 
head  to  feet  he  was  altogether  cataleptic — as  stiff  as  a  piece  of 
wood,  so  that  when  placed  on  top  of  two  chairs,  his  neck  rest- 


INTRODUCTION    OF    HYPNOTISM    IN    CHICAGO.  249 

ing  on  one  and  his  heels  on  the  other,  he  was  completely  rigid 
and  capable  of  bearing  heavy  weights.  An  intermission  fol- 
lowed, during  which  the  servant  served  refreshments.  I  was 
then  asked  to  make  an  attempt  with  him.  He  consented,  and 
was  successfully  and  quickly  influenced.  The  next  subject  was 
Mr.  Lindblom's  coachman,  with  whom  the  former  had  already 
experimented  successfully.  Before  leaving  we  had  still  an- 
other very  interesting  illustration.  A  young  lady,  Miss  F.,  was 
hypnotized.  She  whistled  for  us  as  a  real  virtuoso— believing 
herself  to  be  a  young  man.  At  the  wish  of  Count  Lovenhaupt, 
the  secretary  of  the  Swedish  Legation  at  Washington,!  consented 
to  trv  an  experiment  in  clairvoyance.  This  was  done  in  the  follow- 
ing manner :  The  gas  was  turned  down,  and  a  decanter  filled  with 
water  was  placed  in  front  of  the  subject  at  such  a  height  as  to 
be  on  a  level  with  her  eyes.  A  lighted  candle  was  put  behind 
the  decanter  with  the  flame  at  the  center  of  it.  The  subject 
was  now  asked  to  gaze  at  the  water  and  relate  to  us  what  she 
saw.  A  few  minutes  passed  in  silence,  when  suddenly  the  sub- 
ject's face  became  animated  ;  her  lips  began  to  move — but  her 
words,  if  any,  were  inaudible.  Upon  asking  her  to  speak 
louder  she  increased  her  voice,  and  very  lively  scenes  soon  fol- 
lowed. She  described  lovely  valleys  with  the  melodious  chirp- 
ing of  birds — then  dark  and  majestic  mountains  with  dashing 
rivers,  and  the  stunted  vegetation  laid  waste  by  sweeping  winds. 
Then  she  was  out  in  the  fields  caressing  the  horses  or  scolding 
a  big  red  cow  which,  as  it  seemed  in  her  vision,  had  attacked  a 
large  black  dog  of  hers.  After  these  descriptions  of  varied 
scenery  which  aroused,  by  turns,  gravity  and  merriment  in  the 
audience,  I  placed  my  hand  at  the  lady's  head  and  asked  one  of 
those  present  to  think  of  a  certain  object  unknown  to  my  sub- 
ject and  myself.  In  order  to  make  the  subject  describe  the  ob- 
ject thought  of  Mr.  Lindblom  concentrated  his  thoughts  upon 
a  certain  person  of  whose  location  he  was  at  the  time  ignorant. 
Mr.  Lindblom  asked  me  to  inquire  of  the  subject  as  to  this  per- 


250  INTRODUCTION    OF    HYPNOTISM    IN    CHICAGO. 

son's  whereabouts  and  his  present  occupation.  The  subject  re- 
mained silently  looking  into  the  water;  then  she  commenced  to 
speak  with  great  excitement  giving  a  good  description  of  a  well- 
known  Board  of  Trade  member  who  was  then  seated  at  a  card- 
table,  with  other  gentlemen,  in  a  room  of  which  she  also  gave 
a  very  exact  description.  The  gentleman  mentioned  seemed  to 
be  in  some  kind  of  excitement — having  a  little  "scrap"  with  his 
comrades.  Then  she  commenced  to  imitate  the  attitudes  and 
movements  of  this  gentleman  with  such  remarkable  exactness 
that  there  could  be  no  doubt  that  she  had  found  the  person 
thought  of  by  Mr.  Lindblom.  The  next  day,  on  the  Board, 
Mr.  Lindblom  asked  the  gentleman  mentioned  as  to  where  he 
had  been  the  previous  evening  and  his  occupation  there.  The 
answer  given  proved  in  every  detail  the  correctness  of  the  sub- 
ject's statement. 

1  gave  a  seance  at  the  Ashland  club,  corner  Washington 
boulevard  and  Wood  street.  As  it  was  the  visitors  day, 
the  club-house  was  crowded,  although  it  was  a  warm  spring 
evening.  After  the  appearance  of  different  artists  and  music 
by  the  Tomaso  mandolin  orchestra,  my  seance  was  the  next 
number  on  the  program.  On  account  of  the  large  audience  the 
space  given  me  for  the  performance  of  my  experiments,  was 
rather  limited — which  was,  of  course,  somewhat  inconvenient. 
I  began  experimenting  with  five  members  of  the  club.  After 
a  lapse  of  ten  minutes  I  had  two  gentlemen  under  influence. 
With  the  first — a  young  man — I  had  but  a  limited  success.  I 
controlled  him  as  to  the  opening  and  closing  of  his  eyes ;  but 
could  not  further  influence  him.  I  therefore  dismissed  him, 
giving  my  full  attention  to  the  other — Mr.  S.,  secretary  of  the 
club,  with  whom  I  had  excellent  success.  I  now  entered  upon 
a  number  of  interesting  experiments  among  which  were  the 
following  :  Placing  the  subject's  hands  upon  the  palms  of  my 
own,  I  told  him  that  I  would  nail  them  to  mine,  so  that  he,  a 
minute  after  could  not  withdraw  them,  regardless  of  all  his 


INTRODUCTION    OF    HYPNOTISM    IN    CHICAGO. 


251 


attempts  to  do  so.  The  minute  passed,  I  asked  him  to  try ;  but 
in  spite  of  all  his  struggling,  covering  his  forehead  with  per- 
spiration, it  was  impossible.  I  now  took  a  large  bottle  contain- 
ing strong  ammonia  and  suggesting  to  him  that  he  had  a  severe 
cold,  and  that  in  order  to  avoid  catarrh  he  should  inhale  this 
excellent,  soothing  and  fragrant  perfume.  I  put  the  bottle  to 
his  nose.  With  his  face  beaming  with  delight,  Mr.  S.  inhaled 
the  strong  ammonia  with  eager  desire  to  continue,  for  his  eyes 


IMITATING    THE    HYPNOTIST. 

followed  the  direction  of  the  bottle  with  the  most  living  expres- 
sion of  disappointment  when  I  removed  it.  I  asked  several 
amon<j  the  audience,  to  convince  them  as  to  the  contents  of  the 

O  ' 

bottle — by  smelling  it.  The  effect  was  that  their  eyes  watered 
and  they  started  from  their  seats  with  various  grimaces.  Ask- 
ing one  of  Mr.  S.'s  friends  to  put  the  palm  of  his  hand  up  to  the 
subjects  nose,  I  suggesting  to  Mr.  S.  that  a  famous  physician 


25-  INTRODUCTION    OF    HYPNOTISM    IN    CHICAGO. 

from  Paris  had  him  under  treatment  for  his  catarrh,  and  that  it 
was  an  absolute  necessity  for  him  to  inhale  some  very  strong 
ammonia.  Mr.  S.  commenced  to  inhale  the  fancied  ammonia 
with  the  greatest  aversion  shown  upon  his  face ;  and  when  the 
hand  of  his  friend  was  placed  still  closer  to  his  nose,  he  held  out 
his  hand  in  an  averting  manner,  turning  his  head  with  a  vivid 
expression  of  resistance.  The  suggestion  had  resulted  in  pro- 
ducing tears  in  his  eyes,  as  well  as  convulsive  contraction  of  the 
facial  muscles.  Before  Mr.  S.  was  awakened  I  was  asked  to 
give  him  a  post-hypnotic  order,  by  which  we  understand  an  order 
to  perform  a  certain  action  at  a  certain  time  after  his  waking. 
Several  members  of  the  club  asked  me  presently,  to  suggest  to 
Mr.  S.  that  he,  six  and  a  half  minutes  after  being  awoke 
should  sing  a  song.  I  asked  whether  Mr.  S.  was  a  singer  and 
received  the  answer,  "No,  not  very  much,  for  the  simple  reason 
that  he  is  completely  lacking  in  voice."  I  attempted  to  explain 
how  unnatural  it  would  be  to  suggest  Mr.  S.  to  sing  under  such 
circumstances — that  it  was  a  fact  that  I  could  improve  the  fac- 
ulty and  talent  of  an  individual  in  such  case,  but  that  it  was 
impossible  where  the  necessary  foundation  of  voice  was  lacking. 
But  the  audience,  in  a  humorous  mood,  insisted  on  the  song.  I 
at  last  yielded,  giving  Mr.  S.  the  suggestion.  I  repeated  the 
instructions  a  couple  of  times  and  asked  Mr.  S.  to  distinctly 
remember  my  wish,  and  about  two  minutes  after  I  awakened 
him  several  of  his  friends  gathered  around  him,  asking  him  all 
kinds  of  questions  as  to  how  he  felt — if  he  didn't  have  a  head- 
ache— whether  he  was  sure  of  being  perfectly  awake.  To  the 
last  inquiry  he  responded  with  a  statement  of  his  sincere  convic- 
tion thereof. 

Meanwhile  the  minutes  passed  away  and  the  time  drew  near 
for  the  suggested  song.  Suddenly,  while  Mr.  S.  was  engaged 
in  a  lively  conversation  with  a  couple  of  gentlemen,  and  the  rest 
of  the  audience  was  giving  him  very  close  attention,  he  inter- 
rupted the  conversation,  gazed  fixedly  out  upon  space,  made  a 


INTRODUCTION*    OF    HYPNOTISM    IN    CHICAGO.  253 

few  motions  as  of  a  man  whose  coat  is  too  tight,  spread  out  his 
legs,  hemmed  as  if  in  the  need  of  more  air,  made  elegant  passes 
with  his  right  hand  as  if  he  were  the  famous  Mierzwinski  him- 
self, opened  his  mouth,  made  a  quick  step  forward,  shook  his 
head  and  hemmed  again.  Then  he  clasped  with  both  hands 
around  his  collar,  trying  to  widen  it  out  as  if  he  was  near  being 
strangled,  exclaiming  rapidly  with  a  faltering  voice  :  "  Profes- 
sor what  have  you  done  with  me  ?  Get  me  out  of  this.  I  feel 
just  as  if  I  am  not  myself  any  more."  Suddenly  he  hums 
another  tune  and  exclaims  in  utter  despair  :  "  I  can't  sing."  A 
loud  applause  followed  the  confusion;  and  by  a  few  manipu- 
lations I  soon  released  him  from  his  embarassing  situation  when 
he  was  first  completely  awake.  Mr.  S.  afterwards  told  me 
that  he  had  never  been  in  a  more  peculiar  state  than  while  he 
was  standing  there  amidst  the  eagerly  waiting  audience,  feeling 
within  himself  for  the  first  time  in  his  life  a  strong  desire  to 
appear  as  a  singer — being  at  the  same  time  convinced  of  his 
own  inability.  After  about  twenty  minutes  intermission,  I  hyp- 
notized Miss  W.  X.,  a  young  lady,  with  whom  many  experi- 
ments showed  my  complete  influence.  One  of  special  interest 
was  when  I  asked  the  young  lady  to  speak  upon  a  subject 
which  some  one  present  might  suggest.  In  the  midst  of  the 
lecture  she  suddenly  exclaimed:  "Look  there  what  a.  large 
beautiful  cat !  "  and  calling  it  by  name,  she  pointed  at  one  of 
the  gentlemen  sitting  near  by.  The  gentleman  was  very  much 
surprised,  and  explained  that  just  at  that  very  moment,  without 
being  able  to  give  any  special  reason  for  it,  he  had  been  think- 
ing of  a  cat  called  by  the  name  mentioned,  which  was  to  be 
found  at  his  home  down  south.  This  gentleman  was  the  son 
of  a  well-known  senator,  and  a  transient  visitor  in  Chicago. 

I  gave  a  very  interesting  seance  at  the  residence  of  Mr. 
Wright,  president  of  the  Chicago  Theosophical  Society,  where 
I  had  in  every  respect,  a  most  enjoyable  evening,  and  where  I 
had  the  pleasure  of  performing  for  Mr.  Wright  and  his  guests, 


INTRODUCTION    OF    HYPNOTISM    IN    CHICAGO. 

a  number  of  successful  hypnotic  experiments.  Before  the  arrival 
of  the  parties  invited,  Mr.  Wright  and  I  had  a  long  and  inter- 
esting conversation  concerning  the  progress  made  in  the  mag- 
netic treatment  of  different  diseases — that  is  treatment  in  the 
awake  condition  through  passes  not  accompanied  by  any  sleep. 


THE    HAPPY    FISHERMAN. 

Late  in  the  evening  I  had  the  satisfaction  of  practically  proving 
the  correctness  of  my  statement,  as  I  had  the  opportunity  of 
treating  a  couple  of  those  present,  for  nervous  sufferings.  Mr. 
Wright  himself  had  been  very  busy  during  the  day  and  did  not 


INTRODUCTION    OF    HYPNOTISM    IN    CHICAGO.  255 

feel  altogether  well  in  the  early  part  of  the  evening.  I  asked 
him  to  be  seated  as  comfortable  as  possible,  and  at  the  same 
time  to  make  himself  passive  to  my  influence.  Then  by  the  aid 
of  a  few  magnetic  passes,  I  caused  the  indisposition  to  disap- 
pear. Mr.  Wright,  who  is  very  sensitive,  declared  that  during 
the  treatment  he  felt  a  soothing  warm  rush,  like  a  current 
through  his  entire  body  from  head  to  foot,  whenever  I  touched 
him  lightly  or  moved  my  hands  along  the  nerves.  Mr.  Wright 
stated  further,  that  he  was  able  to  perceive  mv  magnetic  atmos- 
phere which  was  of  a  piquant  sweetly  odor,  especially  strong 
when  my  ringer  tips  were  moved  downward  through  the  air  at 
a  distance  of  about  an  inch  from  his  face.  This  declaration 
from  Mr.  Wright  interested  me  particularly,  because  many  of 
my  patients  have  noticed  and  spoken  of  the  same  thing. 

One  of  my  seances  took  place  at  the  editorial  office  of  the 
daily  Skandinavcn.  In  order  to  convince  the  editors  that  no 
special  preparations  are  necessary  to  produce  the  hypnose  with 
a  susceptible  individual,  I  requested  a  couple  of  the  editors  to 
submit  themselves  to  my  influence.  But  as  they  all  wished  to 
be  spectators,  I  was  compelled  to  abandon  the  idea  of  getting 
an  editor  asleep.  A  young  printer,  Mr.  M.,  responded  to  my 
request  and  submitted  himself  as  a  subject,  on  the  conditions 
that  he  was  not  to  be  kept  under  influence  for  a  longer  time 
than  that  agreed  upon,  and  that  he  should  not  be  exhausted  in 
performing  too  many  experiments.  After  a  lapse  of  about 
seven  minutes  he  was  completely  hypnotized  ;  and  I  then  per- 
formed with  him  a  number  of  interesting  experiments,  in  regard 
to  which  I  quote  from  an  article  in  the  Skandina-ccn  of  the 
next  day  the  following  : 

Mr.  Sextus  proved  his  hypnotic  powers  by  a  series  of  experiments 
in  the  editorial  office  of  the  Skandinavcn^  among  which  were  the  follow- 
ing: A  voungnian  was  brought  into  hypnotic  sleep.  A  match  \va*  held 
right  up  before  his  eyes,  and  as  this  did  not  produce  contraction  of  the 
pupil,  it  was  decided  that  the  sleep  was  not  simulated.  During  this  con- 
dition it  was  suggested  to  the  hypnotised  person,  that  ten  minutes  after 


256  INTRODUCTION*    OF    HYPNOTISM    IN    CHICAGO. 

being  awake  he  would  enter  the  office  of  the  chief  editor  and  shake 
hands  with  him,  at  the  same  time  shouting,  "Hail  and  long  life  for  the 
Skandinaven"  Mr.  M.  was  then  awakened.  He  declared  himself  "all 
right;"  but  after  being  seated  for  awhile  he  commenced  to  show  some 
agitation.  When  questioned  in  regard  to  this,  he  expressed  a  sincere 
wish  to  see  the  chief  editor,  and  upon  entering  the  office  of  that  gentle- 
man, he  did  what  he  was  told  to  do. 

In  a  seance  given  at  the  residence  of  Mr.  W.  T.  Delihant,  240 
East  Indiana  street,  all  the  experiments  were  successful.  At  a 
second  seance  at  the  same  place,  in  accordance  with  a  request 
from  Mr.  D.  who,  besides  being  a  successful  business  man  is  an 
excellent  amateur  hypnotist,  I  performed  the  following  experi- 
ments: I  made  the  subject  turn  his  back  on  me  so  that  he  was 
facing  the  wall  (where  there  was  no  mirror)  with  his  eyes 
tightly  closed.  Then  I  placed  a  penholder  with  a  pen  between 
my  lips  having  my  mind  closely  concentrated  with  a  view  of 
transferring  the  thought  to  my  subject  that  he  was  performing 
the  same  act  and  that  he  could  also  taste  the  ink.  After  two 
minutes  the  subject  commenced  to  spit  continually  and,  when 
questioned  a,s  to  his  reason  for  so  doing,  he  answered  that 
he  had  the  feeling  of  having  a  writing  pen  in  his  mouth  which 
tasted  disagreeable  from  ink.  I  influenced  the  same  subject  so 
that  he  expressed  my  thoughts. 

XI. 

I  gave  a  seance  at  the  residence  of  Mrs.  L.  Mason,  who  is  well 
known  in  Chicago  Theosophical  circles  and  who  takes  a  lively 
interest  in  all  occult  phenomena.  Among  others  present  were 
Mr.  Henry  C.  O.  Heineman,  editor  of  the  Chicago  Press,  and 
Colonel  Louis  Ayme,  now  at  the  World's  Fair  headquarters, 
Mr.  Koloman  Ritter  von  Krzisch,  Mr.  Ed.  F.  Bideleux,  Mr.  Her- 
mann Meyer,  Mr.  R.  O.  Wardwell  and  Mr.  Charles  Matthey. 
I  performed  successfully  several  hypnotic  experiments  similar 
to  those  already  mentioned.  As  a  last  number  on  the  program 
of  the  evening  Col.  Ayme  kindly  gave  us  a  surprising  evidence 


INTRODUCTION    OF    HYPNOTISM    IN    CHICAGO. 


257 


of  his  remarkable  psycometric  power.  I  will  especially  men- 
tion the  following  experiment:  I  had  in  my  pocketbook  a  very 
rare  and  valuable  coin  which,  shortly  before  my  departure  from 
Denmark,  was  presented  to  me  by  a  noted  Danish  landowner. 


THE     SUBJECT      BELIEVES     HIMSELF    A     NURSE,    WITH    A    BABY 
IX    HIS    ARMS. 

The  detailed  circumstances  under  which  this  coin  was  presented 
to  me,  as  well  as  everything  else  connected  with  its  history,  I 
had  never  related  to  anyone  in  this  country.  Col.  Ayme  placed 
the  coin  in  his  hand,  closed  his  fingers  over  it,  and  asked  for  a 


258  INTRODUCTION"    OF    HYPNOTISM    IN    CHICAGO. 

few  minutes'  silence.  Being  seated  in  an  easy  position,  with 
his  eyes  closed,  he  described  (inside  of  twelve  minutes)  the  his- 
tory of  the  coin  to  the  least  details;  and  he  even  pictured  the 
person  from  whom  I  had  received  it — his  residence  as  well  as 
its  location. 

Mrs.  Mason  likewise  surprised  us  the  same  evening  with 
some  wonderful  experiments  in  Psycometry. 

XII. 

I  gave  a  seance  at  the  residence  of  Mr.  R.  J.  Francis,  editor 
of  The  Progressive  Thinker,  40  Loomis  street,  where  I  met 
a  sympathetic  assembly  among  whom  were  Dr.  R.  Greer,  Sr., 
and  Rufus  H.  Bartlett.  I  hypnotized  two  ladies  and  one  gen- 
tleman. With  the  ladies,  Mrs.  W.  and  Miss  A.  M.,  I  performed 
several  interesting  experiments;  but  as  these  were  only  a  repe- 
tition of  previously  mentioned  experiments  I  will  not  weary  the 
reader  in  reviewing  them  here.  With  the  gentleman,  Mr.  F., 
I  performed  an  experiment  of  more  noteworthy  interest.  I 
was  informed  that  he  had  a  great  devotion  for  music,  and  a 
short  time  ago  had  purchased  a  violin;  but  that  as  yet  he  had 
received  only  a  few  hours'  instruction.  Upon  my  request  a  vi- 
olin was  brought,  which  I  handed  to  the  subject.  I  now  sug- 
gested to  him  that  he  was  the  world-famous  Ole  Bull,  now  ap- 
pearing on  the  brilliantly-lighted  stage  with  a  select  audience  be- 
fore him.  I  told  him  to  play  the  "Last  Rose  of  Summer,"  but 
with  such  a  feeling  and  melodious  harmony  as  only  he,  the 
grand  master  of  the  violin,  was  capable  of.  Earlier  in  the  even- 
ing he  had  expressed  to  me  his  wish  to  learn  especially  to  play 
this  melody.  The  reader  must  remember  that,  in  his  normal 
condition  at  this  time,  he  was  unable  to  play  the  tune  mentioned. 
His  face  took  on  a  serious  expression,  and,  with  great  dignity, 
he  began  to  tune  his  instrument.  Then  he  commenced  to  play 
the  u  Last  Rose  of  Summer"  with  such  pathos  and  excellence 
in  performance  that  an  expert  musician  present  declared  it  to  be 


INTRODUCTION    OF    HYPNOTISM    IN    CHICAGO.  259 

wonderful,  and  the  whole  party  of  course  shared  this  opinion. 
Mr.  Francis,  at  a  later  date,  reviewed  my  experiment  in  his 
paper  in  terms  very  nattering  to  me. 

XIII. 

I  gave  a  second  seance  at  the  same  place ;  when  after  an 
excellent  musical  prelude  I  hypnotized  Mrs.  H,  Concerning 
this  entertainment  I  will  simply  quote  as  follows  from  the 
Progressive  Thinker: 

After  the  music,  Mr.  Carl  Sextus  gave  a  proof  of  the  wonderful 
power  of  hypnotism.  After  some  very  amusing  experiments,  he 
demonstrated  how  a  hypnotic  subject  would  act  under  a  suggestion,  and 
that  he  keeps  time  after  coming  out  of  the  hypnotic  sleep. 

X  I V. 

I  gave  a  seance  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Voorhees,  47  Campbell 
Park,  and  out  of  six  persons  I  hypnotized  four  ladies,  with 
whom,  in  the  course  of  the  evening,  I  performed  all  the  exper- 
iments which  it  is  possible  to  produce  through  hypnotism.  My 
host  and  hostess  were  especially  interested  in  the  general  suc- 
cess of  my  experiments,  which  they  had  also  formerly  wit- 
nessed. 

XV.,  XVI.,    XVII. 

I  gave  three  seances  in  Room  33,  Central  Music  Hall 
which  was  then  a  general  meeting  place  for  societies  for  Psy- 
chical Research.  As  it  would  take  up  too  much  space  to  give 
a  full  description  of  the  three  seances  I  simply  quote  from  the 
Chicago  Tribune  in  regard  to  one  of  them  under  the  heading  : 
"His  Strange  Powers — Remarkable  Feats  of  Prof.  Sextus,  the 
Hypnotist,"  the  article  runs  : 

A  meeting  of  the  Chicago  Psychical  Society  was  held  last  night  in 
Room  33,  Central  Music  Hall,  and  thirty  people  witnessed  the  strange 
performances  of  a  young  man  and  woman,  who  were  s-uccessively  hyp- 
notized by  Prof.  C.  Sextus.  ...  In  obedience  to  an  order  given  a 
lady,  while  in  the  hypnotic  sleep,  she  arose  exactly  two  minutes  after 


260  INTRODUCTION    OF    HYPNOTISM    IN    CHICAGO. 

she  opened  her  eyes,  as  she  had  been  told,  hunted  out  a  person  in  the 
audience,  who  had  been  mentally  suggested  to  her,  and  shook  hands  with 
him — apologizing  for  her  boldness. 

XVIII. 

During  a  seance  at  the  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Koehler,  38 
St.  Johns  Place,  Mrs.  A.,  a  lady  about  forty-five  years  of  age, 
was  brought  into  hypnotic  sleep.  The  special  feature  in  the 
case  was  that  this  lady,  during  the  sleep,  suddenly  began  to 
speak  very  loudly  of  different  subjects  of  a  purely  personal 
character.  The  interest  increased  as  she  soon  talked  with  her 
own  natural  voice,  then  more  deep — like  a  man;  then  more  tim- 
idly, as  a  boy  of  fourteen ;  and  finally  in  a  more  murmuring, 
creaking  way  of  expression.  At  every  transition  to  a  new  voice 
she  changed  bearing  and  expression  of  countenance.  The  dif- 
ferent talkings  of  the  lady  were  questions  and  answers  directed 
to  and  and  responded  to  by  different  persons  whose  voice  and 
manners  she  assumed.  1  was  afterwards  informed  that  the 
man's  deep  voice  was  a  true  imitation  of  her  former  husband's. 
The  timid  voice  was  that  of  an  adopted  son,  and  the  creaking 
voice  belonged  to  a  certain  attorney.  The  lady  mentioned  had 
a  short  time  previously  secured  a  divorce  from  her  husband ; 
and  she  was  then  engaged  in  a  suit  concerning  some  property 
to  which  she  claimed  a  just  title. 

I  gave  a  seance  at  the  North  Side  Turner  Hall  for  the 
Swedish  society,  "  Vikingen,"  in  behalf  of  founding  a  Swedish 
reading  room.  Besides  my  seance  there  was  a  lecture  by  Mr. 
Robert  Lindblom  and  a  quartet  song  of  the  "  Glee  Club."  Be- 
fore my  seance  I  gave  a  brief  outline  of  hypnotism  ;  and  during 
the  evening  I  had  the  pleasure  of  producing  a  line  of  successful 
experiments  with  several  members  of  the  society.  With  regard 
to  this  seance  I  refer  the  reader  to  the  Swedish  American, 
which  says,  among  other  things,  in  a  very  kind  review  of  my 
experiments : 


INTRODUCTION"    OF    HYPNOTISM     IN    CHICAGO.  26l 

A  number  of  the  greatest  interest  was  Mr.  Sextus'  seance.  It  was 
successful  as  usual.  Four  persons  were  hypnotized  and  completely 
under  the  control  of  the  hypnotist.  With  these  Mr.  Sextus  performed 
the  most  remarkable  experiments; they  kissed  fancied  ladies,  rode  wildly 
on  chairs,  which  they  believed  to  be  racing  horses;  they  swam  in  an 
imagined  lake,  and  sang  French  songs,  etc.  One  of  the  persons  hyp- 
notized was  brought  into  the  cataleptic  condition.  Of  special  interest 
was  it  when  the  hypnotist  loudly  called  out  the  name  of  a  person  down 
among  the  audience,  who  had  previously  been  hypnotized,  and  thereby 
caused  the  hypnose  to  appear  so  that  it  was  impossible  for  him  to  open 
his  eyes,  etc. 

I  also  gave  seances  at  the  residence  of  Mr.  Lorenzo  Fager- 
steen,  Wentworth  avenue  ;  for  the  editors,  Jacob  Bonggren  and 
R.  Lindstrand,  at  the  office  of  the  Swedish  American,  33  Clark 
street ;  and  at  numerous  other  places  in  Chicago. 


PRESS  CLUB  OF  CHICAGO, 
133  CLARK  STREET. 

April  22nd,  1890. 
Prof.    Carl  Sextus,    City: 

DEAR  SIR:  As  you  kindly  consented,  we  have  arranged 
for  your  appearance  and  cooperation  at  our  fortnightly  club 
dinner  next  Saturday  evening,  April  26th.  We  sincerely  trust 
nothing  will  occur  to  prevent  your  being  present  on  that 
occasion. 

Enclosed  we  hand  you  invitation  as  issued  to  members. 
Yours  very  truly, 

CHARLES  EUGENE  BANKS,  )  ~, 

>  Committee. 

R.    C.  J ACOBSEN,  \ 


PRESS    CLUB    OF    CHICAGO. 
133    CLARK    STREET. 

April  i  pth,  1890. 

DEAR  SIR:  You  arc  invited  to  attend  the  fortnightly  house 
dinner  at  the  Club  dining  rooms,  Saturday  evening,  April  26th, 
at  5:15  o'clock. 


262  INTRODUCTION    OF    HYPNOTISM    IN    CHICAGO. 

The  dinner  will  be  supplemented  by  an  exposition  of  hyp- 
notism by  Professor  Carl  Sextus.  Major  Jno.  C.  Bundy  will 
deliver  a  short  dissertation  on  this  interesting  science.  Subjects 
for  hypnotic  experiment  will  be  selected  from  the  audience. 

The  dinner  will  be  equal  to  those  heretofore  provided  by 
the  Steward,  and  will  be  under  the  same  conditions. 

If  you  purpose  attending  you  are  requested  to  notify  the 
Steward  before  6  o'clock  P.  M.,  Friday,  April  25th.  Otherwise 
a  seat  at  the  table  will  not  be  guaranteed. 


CHARLES  EUGENE  BANKS, 
R.  C.  JACOBSEN, 
HILL  C.  SMYTH, 


Committee. 


PRESS    CLUB    OF    CHICAGO, 
133    CLARK    STREET. 

May  ist,  1890. 
Mr.    Carl  Sextus: 

DEAR  SIR:  By  order  of  the  Board  of  Directors  of  the 
Press  Club  of  Chicago,  I  am  instructed  to  extend  to  you  its 
cordial  thanks  for  the  interesting  experiments  you  so  kindly 
made  at  its  last  house  dinner. 

J.  R.  WEDDELL,  Secretary. 


INTERESTING     CASES     PRESENT     THEMSELVES     DAILY     AT     MY 

OFFICE PEOPLE    WISH,     NOT    MERELY     TREATMENT     FOR 

TROUBLESOME    DISEASES,  BUT  ALSO  APPLY   IN  ORDER 
TO  HAVE  THEIR  TALENTS   DEVELOPED  THROUGH 

HYPNOTIC    INFLUENCE GENERALLY    VERY 

EXCELLENT    RESULTS    ARE    REACHED. 

The  Impossible  is  never  to  be  found, 
Except,  perhaps — in  the  fool's  calendar. 

Of  interesting   cases  where  hypnotism  can  be   successfully 
applied,  I  will  state  the  following :     Mr.  Geo.  L.  Bliss,  M.  D., 


INTRODUCTION    OF    HYPNOTISM    IN    CHICAGO.  263 

of  Maple  Rapids,  Mich.,  together  with  a  colleague,  last  sum- 
mer entered  my  office.  Mr.  B.  wished  to  be  hypnotized,  as  he 
intended  in  the  near  future  to  deliver  a  series  of  lectures,  and  he 
desired  to  have  his  oratorical  powers  developed  through  hyp- 
notic suggestions.  After  a  lapse  of  eight  minutes  I  brought 
him  into  a  deep  hypnose,  during  which  I  suggested  to  him  that 
he  inside  of  two  minutes  would  rise  from  the  chair,  and,  with 
inspiration,  in  clear  expressive  terms,  deliver  a  lecture  upon  the 
subject  which  I  then  named.  At  the  same  time  I  gave  him 
the  idea  that  he  was  then  appearing  on  the  stage  in  Central 
Music  Hall  before  a  large  and  brilliant  audience.  Mr.  Bliss, 
who  was  fifty-five  years  of  age  and  strongly  built,  was  in  pos- 
session of  a  very  good  voice,  and  without  any  mispronouncia- 
tion,  but  did  not  speak  loud  enough;  besides  this  he  expressed 
himself  rather  slowly.  On  this  occasion,  however,  he  was  an 
accomplished  public  actor.  Before  awaking  him  I  suggested  to 
him  that  the  next  time,  under  a  repeated  hypnose,  he  would 
speak  still  more  freely,  and  with  still  more  inspiration. 

The  next  day  at  the  same  time  we  had  our  second  seance  to 
which,  among  others,  I  had  invited  Prof.  R.  A.  Campbell,  200 
North  Clark  street.  The  hypnose  was  produced  inside  of  four 
minutes,  and  after  a  few  of  the  more  common  experiments  I 
suggested  to  him  that  he  was  at  present  in  Michigan  giving  a 
great  lecture  upon  hypnotism.  I  gave  him  a  few  ideas  that  he 
was  to  present,  whereupon  he  arose  and  delivered  his  lecture — 
not  only  with  great  oratorical  force,  but  with  such  a  full  voicq 
that  the  other  occupants  of  the  house,  little  by  little,  gathered  at 
the  windows  and  doors  in  consternation  at  the  thundering  tones. 
Even  across  the  street  the  people  enjoyed  the  free  speech.  I 
will  remark  in  passing  that  this  was  not  only  a  clear  and  forci- 
ble representation  of  the  subject  spoken  of,  but  the  philosophy 
was  correct  and  the  diction  elegant.  I  only  regret  that  I  was 
not  in  possession  of  a  phonograph,  as  the  lecture  was  worth 
publishing.  Before  I  awakened  Dr.  B.,  I  suggested  to  him  that 


264  INTRODUCTION    OF    HYPNOTISM    IN    CHICAGO. 

in  the  future,  whenever  speaking  to  a  larger  audience,  he  would 
speak  as  freely  and  with  as  much  inspiration  as  on  the  present 
occasion.  This  case  is  not  at  all  a  rare  one.  Mr.  W.  Howard, 
a  young  Scotch  engineer,  came  to  my  office  in  order  to  have  his 
speaking  powers  developed  through  hypnotism.  The  young 
man,  who  had  a  large  social  acquaintance,  was  often  invited  out 
and  had,  on  such  occasions,  several  times  attempted  to  make  a 
speech,  in  which  he  utterly  failed.  The  engineer,  who  other- 
wise had  a  very  fine  voice,  wrould  begin  to  falter  in  a  very  tire- 
some way  even  during  common  conversation  or  upon  meeting 
strangers,  whose  questions  he  could  not  answer  satisfactorily  to 
himself  although  he  could  form  that  answer  clearly  in  his  mind. 
Mr.  H.  was,  in  the  presence  of  several  witnesses,  hypnotized  by 
me.  For  the  occasion  I  had  an  expert  shorthand  writer  pres- 
ent. I  let  him  sleep  uninterrupted  for  about  fifteen  minutes. 
Then  I  commanded  his  full  attention,  suggesting  to  him  that  he 
was  now  what  he  had  wished  to  be — an  eminent  speaker  who 
was  able  to  treat  fluently  any  desired  subject.  I  now  spoke  a 
number  of  Latin  sentences  whose  sound,  under  other  circum- 
stances, the  subject  would  have  been  unable  to  repeat ;  but  he 
repeated  them  all  correctly  and  without  hesitation. 

I  next  told  him  that  he  was  a  great  speaker,  and  I  placed 
one  finger  on  the  top  of  his  head,  saying:  "You  are  the  Prince 
of  Wales  now,  speak!  You  are  talking  to  your  court!" 

The  subject  now  stood  up,  threw  back  his  head,  put  his  hand 
on  his  chest,  and  began  in  a  very  commanding  voice:  "  My  dear, 
honest  subjects:  It  pleases  me  at  this  opportunity  to  see  you 
collected  here  about  the  throne  in  loyal  respect  for  the  King's 
legal  power,  you  gallant  Lords  and  Knights.  The  country  is  in 
danger ;  that  is  why  your  King  has  summoned  you  here  so  that 
together  we  can  decide  how  we  easiest  can  chase  the  enemy  out 
of  the  country 

I  interrupted  him,  saying:  "Now  you  are  an  old  parish 
clerk  in  the  country  !  Speak  !" 


INTRODUCTION    OF    HYPNOTISM    IN    CHICAGO. 


26; 


The  subject  immediately  changed  position,  shrunk  together 
as  if  old,  bent  his  head,  folded  his  hands  and  commenced,  with  a 
changed  and  shaking  voice :  "  When  I  speak  to  you,  my  dear 
villagers,  it  is  because  I  know  that  infidelity  has  spread  itself 


THE    ORATOR. 

amongst  you,  and  that  licentiousness  increases  day  by  day.  The 
young  people  need  to  be  led  and  advised.  I  shall  do  my  best 
that  you  sinners  may  be  brought  into  the  right  road.  Therefore, 
let  me  say  to  you  a  serious  word:  Believe  in  God,  trust  to  the 
Bible,  and  abandon  all  the  devil's  work." 


266  INTRODUCTION    OF    HYPNOTISM    IN    CHICAGO. 

Again  I  tapped  the  subject  on  the  head  and  said :  "  Now  you 
are  a  young  gentleman  who  at  a  festive  entertainment  speaks 
to  the  ladies.  Speak  !" 

The  subject  straightened  himself  into  a  gentlemanlike 
and  graceful  position,  at  the  same  time  speaking  with  a  flu- 
ency that  was  truly  surprising:  "Ladies  and  gentlemen: 
Wherever  I  direct  my  gaze  in  this  gathering  it  is  caught  by  a 
magnet  that  chains  it — that  is,  the  ladies — the  pride  of  the  fes- 
tival, queens  of  the  dance  ;  strains  of  the  music  still  sound  in 
our  ears;  the  bosoms  still  heave  from  the  electricity  of  the 
dance,  just  as  our  senses  are  infatuated  with  the  ladies'  magnifi- 
cent toilets  in  their  radiant  brightness.  It  is,  therefore,  no 
wonder  that  we  are  infatuated.  Perhaps  we  are  still  more  so 
when  we  see  the  woman  occupy  herself  in  her  home.  I  pre- 
sume we  all  strive  to  obtain  that  ideal,  but  the  ideal  ceases  to  be 
an  ideal  when  it  is  reached  and  obtained.  It  is  only  the  strug- 
gle for  it  that  gives  substance  to  life." 

I  once  more  tapped  the  subject  on  the  head  and  said: 
"  Now  you  are  a  nonsensical  alderman,  a  grocer,  who  is  going 
to  speak  in  the  town  council.  Speak !" 

The  subject  put  both  hands  in  his  pockets,  assumed  a  tough 
air  and  began  :  "  Yes,  gentlemen,  what  I  wish  to  propose,  is 
diat  I  may  have  a  lamp-post  put  in  front  of  my  house.  It  is 
very  necessary.  It  is  just  like  this,  for  instance:  sometime  ago 
my  roomer  came  home,  and  he  was — with  all  due  respect  to 
him — what  will  I  call  it,  feeling  a  little  gay?  Well,  you  need 
not  laugh,  gentlemen,  for  that  is  liable  to  happen  to  any  of  us. 
But  as  I  said,  my  roomer  had  quite  an  accident  because  there 
was  no  gaslight."  I  let  the  subject  assume  several  other  charac- 
ters and  then  awakened  him. 

PECULIAR   DOUBLE    STATE    DURING  THE  HYPNOTIC  CONDITION. 

Joseph  Singer,  a  professor  of  music,  came  to  my  office  and 
requested  me  to  hypnotize  his  son  Walfried,  whom  he  had 


INTRODUCTION    OK    HYPNOTISM    IN    CHICAGO.  267 

heretofore  in  vain  attempted  to  get  under  hypnotic  influence. 
He  had  consulted  several  of  the  most  noted  hypnotists  in 
America  in  connection  with  well-know  physicians,  but  without 
result.  The  last  he  saw  in  regard  to  this  case  was  the  highly 
esteemed  C.  G.  Davis,  M.  D.,of  this  city.  The  reason  why  Mr. 
Singer  wished  his  son  to  be  hypnotized  was  of  a  private  charac- 
ter which  I  will  not  mention  here.  Among  other  things  that 
Mr.  Singer  wished  me  to  do  by  the  aid  of  hypnotism,  was  to 
suggest  to  his  son  (who  had  a  natural  talent  for  music)  that  he 


FACE  MUSCLES  CATALEPTIC CANNOT  CLOSE  THEIR  MOUTHS. 

devote  himself  in  the  future,  with  more  interest  and  industry  to 
his  musical  studies.  After  several  seances  we  perceived  an 
evident  effect  of  the  hypnotic  suggestions.  He  played  now  at 
the  certain  fixed  hours,  and  seemingly  with  far  greater  interest. 
After  a  periodical  hypnotization  during  several  months,  we 
reached  the  desired  result. 

Concerning  the  Singer  boy  and  his  double  state  during  the 
hypnose,  I  will  remark  that  this  condition  with  hypnotized 
individuals  (hereby  to  be  understood,  persons  who  during  the 


268  INTRODUCTION    OF    HYPNOTISM    IN    CHICAGO. 

sleep  speak  of  themselves  as  an  entirely  different  person) 
appears  but  seldom.  As  soon  as  Walfried  Singer  was  brought 
into  hypnotic  condition,  he  was  subject  to  a  great  change  in 
every  direction.  The  boy,  who  in  his  normal  condition  was 
rather  wild,  became  during  the  hypnotic  sleep  serious,  and 
acted  exactly  like  a  grown-up  person,  in  manners,  attitude  and 
ready  answers.  Among  several  curious  things,  I  briefly  men- 
tion the  following.  To  my  question  whether  he  had  arisen  at 
the  right  time  in  the  morning  or  given  any  attention  to  his  play- 
ing, he  would  generally  sit  down  in  silence  and  listen  to  my 
words  for  some  time  and  then  suddenly  reply  (as  if  he  were 
another  person — not  Walfried)  :  "O,  yes,  I  notice  you  are 
again  speaking  of  this  Singer  boy.  Yes,  he  is  undoubtedly 
rather  wild.  He  ought  to  become  straitened  somewhat,  he  has 
too  much  of  a  good  time,  that  boy."  Or  he  would  say  some- 
thing like  this  :  "  Lazy  fellow,  that  Singer  boy.  Rather  irreg- 
ular in  everything  he  undertakes,  and  a  little  unreliable."  At 
other  times  he  would  sit  from  ten  to  fifteen  minutes  talking  in 
a  whisper  to  himself  as  if  philosophizing  about  the  boy  that  he 
had  heard  mentioned. 

To  my  question  whether  he  was  acquainted  with  this  boy — 
as  he  seemed  to  take  some  interest  in  him — his  eyes  lightened 
up;  he  raised  his  voice,  and  humming  a  couple  of  tunes,  said: 
"  Certainly  I  know  this  Singer  boy,  as  I  have  said  before ;  but 
if  you  have  a  special  desire  to  get  a  description  of  his  appear- 
ance, then  listen :  For  his  age  he  is  not  very  tall ;  his  face  is 
roundly  shaped  ;  he  is  strongly  developed — better  formed  than 
his  father;  he  used  to  wear  long  hair  which  was  very  thick  and 
pretty — it  has  been  cut  short  now,  to  his  great  dissatisfaction. 
But  he  has  no  idea,  that  boy,  of  what  is  best  for  him."  After 
some  few  minutes  reflection  he  continued  in  the  following  way: 
"  Yes,  as  I  say,  it  may  be  of  some  good  to  a  fellow  to  have  his 
hair  cut  short ;  but  I  cannot  see  why  his  hair  must  be  an  inch 
long  in  front,  when  it  is  cut  to  a  regular  shave  about  the  ears. 


INTRODUCTION    OF    HYPNOTISM    IN    CHICAGO.  269 

But  let  the  boy  and  the  father  decide  these  things."  Then  fol- 
lowed an  exact  description  of  his  apparel.  He  also  remarked 
that  his  nose  was  a  little  clumsy,  the  eyes  rather  beautiful,  the 
upper  lip  a  little  too  large — but  not  to  such  an  extent  as  to  in- 
terfere with  his  beauty.  Finally  he  gave  his  weight,  going 
into  the  very  details,  naming  pound,  ounces  and  drachms,  and 
concluded  in  this  way  :  "  Taken  altogether,  he  is  good  looking 
that  boy;  and  he  may  have  a  future;  but,  as  I  said,  he  must  be 
kept  strictly  in  reins.  But,  mark  you  well  my  words,  onlv  to  a 
certain  extent  shall  he  be  kept  strictly.  He  must  not  be  forced  ; 
we  must  take  into  consideration  that  he  is  yet  onlv  a  boy  of 
eleven  years;  and  how  much  can  we  expect,  anyhow,  of  a 
child  at  his  age?  He  must  be  treated  with  reason,  although 
closely  watched  and  kept  on  duty." 

The  boy  showed  also,  during  the  hvpnose,  a  double  condi- 
tion, which  is  not  only  interesting,  but  at  the  same  time  rare. 
A  similar  example  is  the  French  somnambulist,  Leonice,  de- 
scribed bv  Liebault  and  Bernheitn  (Nancy)  and  others. 

As  a  proof  of  Prof.  Joseph -Singer's  great  interest  in  the 
case  and  of  his  appreciation  of  the  treatment  given  his  son,  I 
take  the  liberty  of  quoting  an  extract  from  his  article,  which 
appeared  in  the  Progressive  Thinker,  November  7,  1891  : 

Due  to  the  kindness  of  the  Progressive  Thinker^  I  am  privileged  to 
refer  to  Mr.  Sextus,  the  well-known  Danish  hypnotist.  I  do  this  with 
double  interest,  as  I  am  proud  to  acknowledge  him  as  my  personal 
friend,  and  am  still  gladder  to  yield  the  tribute  of  my  opinion  of  him  as 
a  profound  investigator  and  an  exceedingly  skillful  practitioner  of  his 
wonderful  science.  Mr.  Sextus  is  too  thoroughly  honest  to  ever  de- 
scend to  the  trickery  of  the  stage  fakir.  The  '•  I  don't  know"  or  "I 
believe"  carry  more  conviction  to  me  than  the  dogmatic  assumptions  of 
manv  spiritualists;  for  they  reveal  the  genuine  modesty  and  true  under- 
standing of  a  deep  thinker.  I  have  personal  knowledge  of  some  of  his 
remarkable  experiments,  and  I  am  now  watching  the  development  of  a 
psvchic  transformation  under  his  influence  which,  when  it  is  perfected, 
I  will  reveal  to  the  readers  of  the  J'rofrcssire  Tlnnk-i  >•.  In  the  mean- 
time I  would  advise  all  those  whom  these  lines  will  reach  to  test  Mr. 
Sextus'  wonderful  hypnotic  powers.  JOSEIMI  SIXGKR. 


2~O  INTRODUCTION    OF    HYPNOTISM    IV    CHICAGO. 

THE     FACTS    SHOW      THAT     THE     MAJORITY  OF   PEOPLE    CAN    BE 
HYPNOTIZED IF    NOT    IMMEDIATELY,  BY    THE    FIRST    AT- 
TEMPT, THEY  CAN  ALWAYS  BE   MORE  OR  LESS  INFLU- 
ENCED BY  REPEATED    EXPERIMENTS AT    LEAST 

SIXTY  PER  CENT.  CAN   BE  HYPNOTIZED   IF  THE 
RIGHT     METHOD     IS     EMPLOYED     AND     THE 

PARTY  CONCERNED   IS  WILLING YOUNG 

AND      VIGOROUS      PEOPLE     IN     GEN- 
ERAL  ARE    MOST    SUSCEPTIBLE 
TO     HYPNOTISM. 

The  public  has  in  general  the  idea  that  people  who  per- 
form much  brain  work  cannot  be  hypnotized.  Such  an  idea  is 
erroneous ;  the  person  who  performs  work  that  demands 
much  thinking  can  be  hypnotized  as  easily  as  another  who  per- 
forms physical  labor,  if  he  willingly  submits  himself  to  the  ex- 
periments and  abandons  disturbing  thoughts. 

Among  cases  which  have  presented  themselves  during  my 
practice  in  Chicago,  apt  to  illustrate  my  expressions,  I  will 
briefly  notice  a  few.  Theo.  B.  Thiele,  the  editor  of  Germania, 
appeared  at  my  office,  together  with  a  friend  of  his,  in  order,  as 
he  himself  expressed  it,  "  to  investigate  the  hypnotic  phenomena 
and  their  general  results."  Mr.  Thiele  had  read  several 
works  upon  hypnotism  and  tried  repeatedly  to  be  hypnotized 
by  a  couple  of  traveling  hypnotizers;  but  without  success. 
After  a  brief  interval  he  requested  me  to  bring  him  under  hyp- 
notic influence,  although  he  seemed  to  be  rather  skeptical  as  to 
its  accomplishment ;  but  he  pronounced  himself  willing  to  sub- 
mit to  my  instructions.  That  he,  as  a  gentleman,  meant  this 
exactly,  I  understood  by  his  manner  and  the  good  will  he 
showed  for  the  desired  result.  The  editor  did  not  this  time  go 
away  disappointed,  for  fifteen  minutes  of  earnest  endeavor  suc- 
ceeded in  getting  him  completely  hypnotized. 

It  was  not  only  his  body,  muscles  and  blood  circulation  that 
I  was  able  to  influence,  but  I  could  also  direct  the  course  of  his 


INTRODUCTION    OF    HYPNOTISM    IN    CHICAGO.  27 1 

thoughts,  so  as  to  produce  any  hallucination  wished  for  by  me 
or  by  his  friend  then  present.  Before  awakening  Mr.  T.,  I 
suggested  to  him  that  at  a  certain  time  after  awaking  he  should 
say  a  few  words  upon  hypnotism,  at  the  same  time  giving  his 
friend  his  hand.  Everything  came  to  pass  in  close  exactness 
to  the  order  given.  Eight  and  a  half  minutes  after  being  awak- 
ened, Mr.  T.  raised  to  his  feet,  walked  across  the  floor,  shook 
hands  with  his  friend,  and  in  his  full  voice  expressed  the  ideas 
suggested.  Mr.  T.  and  his  friend  left  my  office  highlv  satisfied 
with  the  seance.  As  I  afterwards  hypnotized  Mr.  T.  a  couple 
of  times,  the  hypnose  was  more  easily  as  well  as  more  rapidly 
produced.  Germania  contained  several  interesting  articles  about 
my  experiments  and  methods  of  cure. 

Mr.  N.,  an  elderly  well-known  reporter  for  the  Chicago 
Tribune,  was  also  hypnotized  with  great  success  at  my  office. 
Mr.  N.  had  for  a  long  time  been  suffering  from  a  painful  rheu- 
matism, and  had  unsuccessfully  resorted  to  all  the  modern  medi- 
cines. Mr.  N.  was  completely  hypnotized  at  my  first  seance, 
and  I  suggested  to  him  then  during  the  sleep,  that  he  after  being 
awakened  would  feel  much  better,  be  relieved  from  the  rheu- 
matic pain,  and  be  able  to  walk  home  with  natural  ease.  When 
Mr.  N.,  in  company  with  a  couple  of  friends,  appeared  at  my 
office  it  was  only  with  the  greatest  difficulty  that  he  was  able 
to  move  his  limbs;  after  the  hypnotization  Mr.  N.  was  once 
more  able  to  master  his  arms  and  legs,  while  the  pain  had  dis- 
appeared. 

Mr.  P.  H.,  engaged  with  the  Chicago  Press,  who  had  never 
been  hypnotized  before,  was  brought  under  influence  by  me  at 
the  second  experiment.  lie  was  suffering  from  nervous  head- 
ache and  periodical  neuralgia  ;  but  after  the  treatments  he  de- 
clared himself  entirely  relieved  from  his  sufferings. 

Mrs.  D.  A.,  a  well-known  Chicago  physician,  with  an  office 
in  the  Masonic  Temple,  was  brought  into  hypnose  at  my  first 
experiment.  She  was  afterwards  hypnotized  a  couple  of  times 


272  INTRODUCTION    OF    HYPNOTISM    IN    CHICAGO. 

and  after  three  treatments  was  restored  to  health  from  nervous 
suffering. 

Dr.  T.  N.,  a  well-known  homoeopathic  physician,  who  was 
periodically  a  sleep-walker,  and  had  a  nervous,  faltering  way  of 
speaking,  was  treated  by  me  six  times  with  excellent  results. 
He  has  abandoned  his  sleep-walking  and  enjoys  now  a  com- 
plete control  over  his  voice. 

A  young  Board  of  Trade  man,  who  for  a  space  of  five  years 
had  been  devoted  to  the  use  of  morphia,  I  cured  inside  of  a 
month  by  tri-weekly  treatments. 

A  noted  attorney  from  Omaha,  who  was  in  the  habit  of 
smoking  from  fifteen  to  twenty  cigars  a  day,  was,  after  five 
treatments,  able  to  control  his  great  desire  for  tobacco ;  and  of 
late  he  smokes  only  three  cigars  a  day — sometimes  even  less. 
For  reasons  of  his  own  he  did  not  wish  to  have  the  desire  for 
tobacco  completely  abolished. 

An  elderly  gentleman  had  been  partially  lame  since  1862  ; 
he  could  only  with  the  greatest  difficultv  walk  about  in  his  room 
with  the  aid  of  crutches.  I  succeeded  in  fifteen  days  daily  treat- 
ments in  restoring  his  limbs  to  their  normal  use. 

A  young  lady,  twenty-one  years  of  age,  who  suffered  from 
melancholia  and  who  had  tried  all  known  remedies  without 
benefit,  I  cured  in  seven  treatments,  restoring  her  to  a  happier 
mood  of  life. 

In  the  same  way  I  have  cured  numerous  persons  of  painful 
diseases,  such  as  nervous  deafness,  weakness  of  mind,  neuralgia, 
bad  digestion,  sleep-walking,  etc.  At  different  places  in  this 
book  I  have  mentioned  the  diseases  which  we  are  able  to  cure 
by  the  aid  ofj  hypnotism,  as  well  as  the  methods  employed, 
and  will  not  enter  any  further  upon  this  subject. 

MANY      PROMINENT     MEN     THROUGHOUT     THE     COUNTRY    ARE 
DEEPLY    INTERESTED    IN    HYPNOTIC    PHENOMENA. 

Among  these  I  would  especially  mention  Hon.  Lyman  J. 
Gage,  president  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Chicago.  Mr. 


INTRODUCTION*    OF    HYPNOTISM    IN    CHICAGO.  273 

Gage,  who  is  a  man  of  rare  amiability  and  courtesy,  has,  during 
my  stay  in  Chicago,  shown  me  much  kindly  attention  and  hos- 
pitality. In  the  library  of  Mr.  Gage's  elegant  North-side  resi- 
dence I  have  passed  many  interesting  evenings,  where  our  con- 
versation always  turned  to  hypnotic  and  occult  phenomena. 
Mr.  Gage,  who  possesses  hypnotic  power  and  skill  in  no  lim- 
ited degree,  has  for  a  number  of  years  studied  everything  con- 
cerning hypnotism,  and  I  have  found  in  his  library  nearly  every 
work  published  on  the  subject.  That  a  business  man  like  Mr. 
Gage,  who  has  most  of  his  time  completely  occupied  with  so 
many  different  and  complicated  business  transactions,  still  finds 
ample  time  and  opportunity  for  devotion  to  art  and  science,  is 
more  than  pleasing.  In  relation  to  experiments  in  mind-read- 
ing, or  thought-transference,  so  often  discussed  in  our  papers 
and  magazines  of  late,  I  take  pleasure  in  stating  that  several 
times,  during  my  meetings  with  Mr.  Gage,  I  have  received  the 
most  satisfactory  proof  of  his  remarkable  ability  in  this  line. 
Mr.  Gage  has,  in  connection  with  his  clear,  keen  sense,  an  un- 
usually quick  perception  ;  but  this  is  not  sufficient  to  account  for 
the  results  observed.  Mr.  Gage  is  sensitive  to  a  high  degree, 
and  he  feels  intuitively  (if  I  may  so  express  it)  what  people 
wish,  and  he  is  very  often  able  to  name  in  advance  exactly  what 
is  desired  by  the  party  in  question.  As  I  am  myself  very  sens- 
itive I  have  personally,  in  Mr.  Gage's  home,  had  the  most  un- 
mistakable proofs  of  his  ability.  Mr.  Gage  has,  whenever  we 
touched  upon  this  subject,  declared  that  this  remarkable  ability 
has  been  of  great  usefulness  and  help  to  him  in  his  position  as 
a  banker. 

EVEN    IN    THE    NINETEENTH     CENTURY    WE    FIND    PEOPLE    IN 
CHICAGO    WHO    CONSIDER    HYPNOTISM   DEMONIACAL. 

I  delivered  some  time  ago  in  the  southwest  part  of  Chicago 
a  public  lecture  upon  hypnotism  accompanied  by  experiments. 
The  audience  was  large,  and  my  experiments  were  exceedingly 


274  INTRODUCTION    OF    HYPNOTISM    IN    CHICAGO. 

successful.  Beyond  doubt  the  people  in  that  part  of  the  city 
entertained  some  queer  ideas  of  hypnotism.  After  some  parley 
with  the  audience,  about  twenty  young  men  appeared  on  the 
platform  in  order  to  submit  to  my  experiments.  After  being 
seated  I  was  greatly  surprised  to  see  a  couple  of  fellows  take 
from  their  pockets  some  lemons  which,  in  accordance  with  some 
ceremonies  to  me  unknown,  they  cut  into  pieces.  With  these 
they  carefully  rubbed  their  temples,  forehead,  etc. ;  even  their 
poorly-blacked  shoes  did  not  miss  this  peculiar  treatment.  These 
mystic  experiments  I  learned  later  were  supposed  to  be  safe- 
guards against  my  hypnotic  influence.  Another  young  gen- 
tleman, who  was  seemingly  well-built,  had  a  prominence  on  his 
chest  which  looked  like  a  deformity.  Later  in  the  evening  I 
succeeded  in  bringing  this  gentleman,  among  others,  into  hyp- 
notic sleep,  and  I  suggested  to  him  that  it  was  unbearably  hot, 
when  he  removed  his  coat  and  vest.  There  was  much  merri- 
ment in  the  audience  when  a  couple  of  thick  copper  plates,  some 
roofing  zinc,  and  a  large  horseshoe  dropped  to  the  floor  with 
resounding  noise.  This  gentleman  was  evidently  very  well 
prepared;  and  as  he  now  had  once  more  regained  his  good  fig- 
ure I  asked  him  to  put  on  his  clothes,  and  placed  in  his  hands 
the  protecting  amulets.  I  now  exclaimed,  loudly,  "  Awake  !" 
and  the  expression  of  his  consternation  when  beholding  in  his 
hands  these  things  can  better  be  imagined  than  described.  This 
genius  was  the  famous  ever-talking  barber  of  the  street,  who 
was  generally  called  "  The  Dramatic,"  a  name  he  acquired  on 
account  of  his  continued  but  ever- failing  efforts  as  a  manager  of 
an  amateur  stage.  I  never  learned  whether  some  silly  person 
had  given  him  this  suggestion  or  if  it  was  only  a  joke  played 
upon  him ;  but  the  report  was  that  the  barber  had  been  so  highly 
assured  of  his  unsusceptibility  that  he  lost  a  bet  which  he  had 
made  with  a  tailor  living  across  the  street.  That  I  was  able, 
during  the  hypnose,  completely  to  check  this  barber's  incessant 
talking  created  much  astonishment  throughout  the  entire  neigh- 


INTRODUCTION    OF    HYPNOTISM    IN    CHICAGO. 


275 


276  INTRODUCTION    OF    HYPNOTISM    IN    CHICAGO. 

borhood.  I  am  naturally  very  fond  of  children,  but  I  discov- 
ered to  my  great  surprise  that  wherever  I  appeared  on  the  street 
the  children  hurried  away,  stopping  their  play,  ceasing  their 
merry  laughter,  -while  they  sought  shelter  in  the  doors  and 
alleys.  A  tall  boy  about  ten  years  old,  who  had  the  courage  to 
stare  at  me  in  daring  proximity,  was  taken  into  the  house  by  his 
anxious  mother.  Polish,  Bohemian  and  Italian  women  crossed 
themselves  solemnly  whenever  I  passed  them  during  my  stay  in 
that  locality.  Later  on  I  heard  that  I  was  used  as  a  bug-a-boo 
by  the  worthy  mothers ;  when  the  little  children  preferred  to 
cry  evenings  instead  of  sleeping,  they  were  told  to  be  quiet, 
otherwise  Sextus  would  be  called.  The  suggestion  to  the 
children,  I  am  told,  had  an  almost  magic  effect. 

THE   VISIBLE   SYMPTOMS  IN    PARTIAL  AND  PERFECT   HYPNOSE. 

It  is  a  fact  that  the  subjects  in  the  first  degrees  of  the  hyp- 
nose  are,  in  many  directions,  very  sensitive,  especially  to  a  sud- 
den noise  or  to  a  momentary  strong  light  directed  upon  the 
pupils  of  the  eyes.  In  many  cases  the  pupils  are  more  dilated 
than  usual ;  in  others  more  contracted.  But  even*  with  those 
persons  whose  pupils  are  much  dilated,  it  very  often  hap- 
pens that  we  notice  a  contraction  by  approximation  of  a  lighted 
candle.  The  pupils,  however,  are  not  in  general  so  easily  influ- 
enced as  when  the  person  is  in  the  usual  condition ;  and  even 
these  people  whose  retina  can  be  easily  effected  by  sudden 
strong  light  are  at  the  same  time  in  other  directions  insensible 
to  push,  sting,  pinch,  etc.  After  being  awakened  they  are  often 
entirely  without  recollection  of  the  experiments  performed  during 
the  hypnotic  condition.  In  the  deepest  hypnose,  when  the  pupil 
is  almost  insensible  to  the  light  and  when  we  are  able  to  affect 
the  pulse  and  temperature,  the  remembrance  as  to  what  was 
going  on  during  the  sleep,  has  disappeared ;  but  as  we  know 
the  next  hypnose  will  produce  the  remembrance  as  to  what 
occurred  during  the  previous  one  ;  while  the  subject  in  the  inter- 


INTRODUCTION    OF    HYPNOTISM    IN    CHICAGO.  277 

jacent  awake  condition  does  not  remember  anything.  In  other 
cases  again  the  hypnose  appears  as  if  there  was  no  unconscious- 
ness whatever,  and  the  subject  seems  to  be  in  every  particular 
like  one  in  a  normal  condition. 

Concerning  hypnotism,  in  general,  I  allow  myself  to  give 
the  following  advice  :  One  should  not  allow  himself  to  be  hypno. 
tized  or  treated  by  an  operator  in  whom  he  has  not  confidence. 
The  hypnotist  ought  to  be  experienced  and  thoroughly  under- 
stand what  he  undertakes.  Especially  must  the  patient  have  a 
little  knowledge  of  the  character  and  the  principles  of  the  hyp- 
notizer  before  he  yields  to  his  treatment,  and  never  forget  to 
have  friends  or  acquaintances  present  during  the  hvpnotization. 
Concerning  the  power  of  hypnotization,  the  majority  of  people 
can  more  or  less  influence  each  other ;  but  it  may  be  said  of  this 
power,  as  of  many  others,  that  some  people  have  a  greater  apt- 
ness than  others  to  make  good  hypnotists.  Of  the  principal 
conditions  I  will  especially  mark  a  healthy  constitution,  a  strong 
will  in  connection  with  power  of  concentrating  it.  It  is  of  great 
benefit  also  if  the  party  concerned  has  received  both  theoretical 
and  practical  training. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  hypnotism  then  i^  not  merely  for  pl^as. 
ure  and  entertainment,  but,  as  formerly  remarked,  of  great 
value  as  a  remedy  for  different  diseases.  The  prejudice  toward 
hypnotism  as  a  means  of  entertainment  is  too  pronouncedr 
When  the  hypnotization  is  skillful,  by  an  "expert  operator, 
there  is  no  danger  whatever.  It  has  been  a  necessity  for  me 
and  other  pioneers  in  the  field  of  hypnotism,  at  public  and  pri- 
vate seances,  to  bring  the  great  public  into  a  closer  contact  with 
this  matter.  In  this  way  we  have  gained  more  than  p_eople_in 
general  apprehend;  because  we__hay_e  effected,  through  Jthe 
great  public,  a  certain  pressure  on  the  medical  profession^jhe^ 
Vesult  of  which  has  ^been  that  a  great  many  celebratcd_p_hysU 
c?ans,  who  had  time  and  opportunity  to  devote  thcmsdvcs  to 
the  study  of  hypnotism,  thereby  became  convinced  of  the 


278  INTRODUCTION"    OF    HYPNOTISM     IN    CHICAGO. 

great  benefit  that  medical  science  derives  therefrom.  Further- 
more, the  masses,  as  well  as  the  profession,  have  a  right  to  be 
informed  of  every  discovery  which  appears  in  this  field. 

In  this  country,  as  well  as  in  Europe,  I  have  found  physi- 
cians who  have  shown  practical  interest  in  the  matter.  Among 
others,  in  several  highly  esteemed  European  scientific  periodicals, 
which  in  very  flattering  terms  have  spoken  of  my  practice  as  a 
hypnotist  in  the  medical  territory.  I  will  name  Ugebladet  for 
Lceger,  issued  by  the  Danish  Medical  Association,  with  Dr.  M. 
D.  V.  Budde,  Copenhagen,  Denmark,  as  chief  editor  (No.  1-2, 
January  2,  1887,  and  No.  34-35,  December  3,  1887).  In  the 
same  way  has  the  well-known  scientific  periodical,  Hospital 
Tidendc,  Copenhagen,  contained  a  long  article  upon  "Hypno- 
tism and  Suggestion,"  in  which  I  was  mentioned  in  a  very  flat- 
tering way.  The  chief  editor  of  this  magazine  is  Dr.  M.  D.  C. 
Lange,  professor  at  the  University  of  Copenhagen,  and  well- 
known  throughout  the  entire  civilized  world.  Others  of  the 
editorial  members  are  Dr.  D.  J.  Bondesen,  Dr.  A.  Frieclenreich, 
Dr.  E.  Ingerslev.  That  hypnotism  was  not  forgotten  after  my 
departure  from  Denmark  is  clearly  proven  by  this  article 
which  appeared  in  the  magazine  mentioned  eight  months  there- 
after. If,  as  I  hope,  in  this  work,  and  in  a  way  as  entertaining 
as  I  could  make  it,  I  have  been  able  to  arouse  a  deeper  and 
broader  interest  in  this  cause;  and  if  hypnotism  in  the  future 
may  be  given  the  place  and  appreciation  so  justly  its  due,  my 
zeal  is  satisfied  and  my  aim  fulfilled.  In  conclusion,  I  will 
allow  myself  to  cite  the  following  words  of  Victor  Hugo  : 

The  real  is  narrow — 

The  possible     .     .     .     immense. 


Public  Press  Comments. 


HE  press  has  always 
been  most  kind  to 
me.  Editors  and  re- 
porters have  ever  looked 
leniently  upon  my 
shortcomings ;  and  they 
have  used  good  spec- 
tacles when  their  atten- 
tion has  been  given  to 
my  merits.  That  my 
readers  may  know  how 
work  is  regarded  and 
valued  by  the  newspaper  world, 
I  herewith  present  a  few  ex- 
tracts from  the  multitudinous  per- 
sonal notices  of  myself  and  my  science  which  have  recently 
appeared  in  the  public  press. 


Extract  from  a  four  column  article  in  the    Chicago  Herald, 
January  26,  1890: 

SECRETS    OF    HYPNOTISM — SOME    PRACTICAL    ILLUSTRATIONS — PROFESSOR 

CARL      SEXTUS,      OF      CHICAGO,      GIVES      AN      EXHIBITION      OF      HIS 

STRANGE    POWER  —  HISTORY    OF    A    MYSTERIOUS    BRANCH 

OF    SCIENCE — CURING    NERVOUS    DISEASES. 

In  the  window  of  a  house  on  Wabash  avenue,  not  far  from  the 
Auditorium  building,  a  little  square,  black  sign  with  white  letters  peeps 
out  upon  the  passers-by  and  conveys  the  information  that  within  is  the 
abode  of  "Carl  Sextus,  Hypnotist."  It  is  in  this  modest  fashion  that 
hypnotism,  perhaps  the  greatest  discovery  of  science,  makes  its  bow  to 
Chicago. 


282 


PUBLIC    PRESS    COMMENTS. 


Carl  Sextus  is  a  small  man  with  a  light  brown  mustache — a  man  who 
would  pass  through  a  throng  unnoticed,  unless  you  caught  sight  of  his 
eye.  If  by  chance  your  eye  should  meet  his,you  might  not  feel  a  trem- 
bling in  your  limbs,  but  you  certainly  would  say  to  yourself:  "  Here  is  a 
remarkable  man."  For  his  eye  is  one  of  those  things  which  possess  a 
strange  fascination  for  the  beholder.  As  an  organ  of  vision  it  perhaps 
does  not  differ  from  others.  It  is  brown  in  color  and  the  pupil  is  large 
and  healthy  looking.  Thousands  of  men  in  Chicago  have  similar  eyes. 
But  this  eye  has  a  mysterious  power,  which  is  felt  by  every  one  who  is 
fixed  with  it.  This  power  the  most  learned  physician  would  despair  of 
locating  and  describing,  and  it  has  no  scientific  name.  Still,  it  exists. 
It  is  the  power  that  comes  as  the  result  of  years  of  constant  command. 

It  probably  gleamed  in  the 
eyes  of  Caesar  and  Napoleon. 
But  there  is  the  difficulty.  Na- 
poleon swayed  men's  bodies; 
the  hypnotist  dominates  men's 
minds.  The  subject  obeyed 
the  commands  of  the  emperor 
because  he  knew  that  it  was  to 
the  interest  of  his  peace  and 
happiness  not  to  disobey  him 
who  had  power  to  kill  or  tor- 
ture him;  the  subject  obeys 
Carl  Sextus  because  he  cannot 
help  it. 

A  few  evenings  ago  Mr. 
Sextus  gave  a  private  seance 
to  which  reporters  from  the 
Herald  were  invited,  among  others.  The  room  in  which  the  ex- 
periments took  place  did  not  differ  from  the  ordinary  parlor.  In 
one  corner  stood  a  piano,  a  marble-topped  table  occupied  the  center 
of  the  apartment,  and  two  or  three  indifferent  paintings  adorned  the 
walls.  The  guests  were  grouped  around  the  sides  of  the  room  in 
chairs.  The  seance  began  without  preparation  of  any  sort.  As  none 
of  those  present  were  willing  to  be  operated  upon,  the  experiments 
necessarily  were  confined  to  the  person  of  one  of  Mr.  Sextus'  patients, 
a  woman  about  twenty-one  years  of  age.  She  was  apparently  of  a  san- 
guine temperament,  having  a  very  fair  complexion,  light  yellow  hair  and 
pale  blue  eyes.  She  said  that  she  had  been  hypnotized  on  several  occa- 
sions, and  was  a  good  subject.  This  assertion  Mr.  Sextus  confirmed. 


FROM  LETHARGY  TO  CATALEPSY. 


PUBLIC    PRESS    COMMENTS. 


The  subject,  who  was  called  Marie,  placed  herself  in  an  easy  chair  and 
assumed  the  most  comfortable  position.  The  operator  then  placed  in 
her  hands  a  small  metal  button,  painted  bJack  with  the  exception  of  the 
center,  which  was  of  the  color  of  silver.  She  was  now  requested  to  fix 
her  gaze  upon  the  bright  center  of  this  disk,  and  to  concentrate  her 
mind  upon  the  idea  of  sleep.  The  operator  stood  in  front  of  her,  and 
began,  in  a  low  tone  of  voice,  to  repeat  Bernheim's  formula: 

"Think  of  nothing  but  sleep.  Your  eyelids  begin  to  feel  heavy. 
Your  eyes  are  tired.  They  begin  to  wink,  they  are  getting  moist;  you 
cannot  see  distinctly.  Your  lids  are  closing,  you  cannot  open  them 
again.  Your  arms  feel  heavy,  so  do  your  legs.  You  cannot  feel  any- 
thing. Your  hands  are  mo- 
tionless You  see  nothing. 
You  are  going  to  sleep.  Sleep !" 

In  rive  and  one-half  min- 
utes the  subject  was  found  to 
be  asleep.  Her  eyes  were 
closed,  she  breathed  heavily 
and  regularly — in  short,  all 
the  phenomena  of  sleep  were 
present. 

"But,"  objected  one  of  the 
spectators,  "  she  is  not  really 
asleep.  It  is  impossible  that 
she  should  go  to  sleep  so 
quickly.  She  is  only  simulat- 
ing sleep." 

Mr.  Sextus  said  nothing, 
but  quietly  raised  the  subject's 
arm  until  it  was  stretched  out 
on  a  level  with  the  shoulder.  THE  SOMNAMBULIC  STATE. 

"You  cannot  lower  you  arm,"  he  said  to  the  subject;  "it  is  immova- 
ble." The  arm  remained  in  the  position  in  which  the  man  had  placed  it. 
"Now,"  he  added  to  the  person  who  had  spoken,  "feel  of  her  arm.  You 
will  see  that  the  muscles  are  rigid,  tetanized.  She  cannot  move  it.  It  is 
cataleptic." 

The  objector  examined  the  arm.  The  muscles  were  fixed  and  hard 
and  it  was  impossible  to  bend  it  without  using  such  great  force  as  might 
break  it.  There  was  no  doubt  of  the  truth  of  what  the  hypnotist  had  said. 

"Lower  you  arm,"  said  the  operator.  The  muscles  relaxed,  and  the 
arm  fell  to  the  side. 


284 


PUBLIC    PKESS    COMMENTS. 


"A  very  sad  thing  has  occurred,"  the  operator  continued.  "One  of 
you  friends  has  just  died."  Tears  began  to  flow  from  Marie's  eyes.  "  It 
is  a  mistake,  a  false  report  that  has  been  brought  me.  You  friend  has 
recovered  and  is  now  quite  well."  The  tears  stopped  instantly.  In  like 
manner  the  subject  was  made  to  laugh  and  to  sing.  Various  hallucina- 
tion were  produced  and  finally  entire  catalepsy.  The  subject  was  placed 
on  two  chairs,  which  supported  her  heels  and  the  back  of  her  head,  as 
illustrated  in  an  accompanying  picture.  The  muscles  of  the  body  were 

perfectly  rigid,  and  even  the 
greatest  pressure  did  not  avail 
to  bend  the  frame.  The  hyp- 
nosis was  complete.  After  a 
number  of  equally  interesting 
experiments,  such  as  compel- 
ling Marie  to  believe  that  am- 
monia was  cologne,  and  stick- 
ing needles  through  her  flesh 
the  operator  said: 

"In  five  minutes  you  will 
awake  and  you  will  see  all  of 
those  who  were  present  ex- 
cept Mr.  M.  [designating  one 
of  the  reporters].  Three  min- 
vtes  after  you  awake  you  will 
take  that  vase  which  you  see 
on  the  mantel  and  hand  it  to 
Mr.  C." 

In  exactly  five  minutes  the 
subject       stretched        herself, 
yawned  and  awoke.     She  had 
absolutely    no   recollection   of 
CATALEPTIC  AND  SOMNAMBULIC.      what     had    passed>    and    even 

denied  that  she  had  been  asleep.  In  just  three  minutes  she  arose, 
went  to  the  mantel-piece,  took  down  the  vase  and  handed  it  to  Mr.  C., 
saying:  "I  think  this  is  such  a  pretty  vase,  don't  you?"  Thus  she 
attempted  to  find  an  excuse  for  the  impulse  she  felt  but  could  not  ex- 
plain. Presently  she  turned  to  Mr.  Sextus  and  said:  "Why,  wrhat  has 
become  of  Mr.  M.?  He  was  here  a  few  minutes  ago.  Did  he  have  to 
go  so  soon?"  At  this  time  Mr.  M.  was  in  plain  view  not  three  feet 
away.  "Yes,"  replied  the  operator,  "he  was  called  away."  Then,  turn- 
ing suddenly,  he  added:  "Why,  he  did  not  go,  after  all.  There  he  sits," 


PUBLIC    PRESS    COMMENTS.  285 

pointing  to  M.  "Sure  enough,"  promptly  said  Marie;  "but  he  was  not 
here  a  moment  since.  Where  have  vou  been,  Mr.  M.?" 

On  another  occasion  Mr.  Sextus  hypnotized  two  little  girls,  aged 
respectively  six  and  seven  years.  All  that  was  required  to  put  them 
into  the  hypnotic  state  was  to  close  their  eyes  and  tell  them  they  were 
asleep.  They  were  now  in  what  is  known  as  the  lethargic  condition. 
They  answered  questions  and  did  whatever  they  were  told  to  do.  The 
operator  placed  his  hands  on  their  heads  and  immediately  they  became 
somnambulists.  Now  Sextus  told  them  that  the  sky  was  open  and  that 
they  could  see  beautiful  flowers,  trees  and  fountains,  and  hear  the  sing- 
ing of  the  birds.  They  looked  up  and  saw  and  heard  these  things.  It 
was  at  this  moment  that  the  photograph  from  which  the  accompanying 
illustration  is  made  was  taken.  The  expression  in  the  faces  of  the 
children  is  rapt  and  beautiful.  The  operator  said  to  them:  "The  skies 
have  closed."  They  no  longer  saw  the  flowers,  and  the  music  ceased  for 
them.  On  being  awakened,  they  remembered  nothing.  The  same  little 
girls  were  the  next  day  cast  into  lethargy.  Sextus  opened  their  eyelids 
and  they  remained  open.  They  were  now  in  the  cataleptic  stage  of  the 
hypnotic  condition.  One  of  them  was  placed  on  two  chairs,  as  in  the 
picture,  and  the  other  was  made  to  assume  a  rigid  position  on  the  pros- 
trate body  of  the  first.  Thus  they  remained  immovable  while  the  pho- 
graph  was  being  taken. 

It  is  not  possible  here  to  give  instances  of  diseases  cured  by  hypnotism. 
It  is  sufficient  to  say  that  all  diseases  of  the  nervous  system  yield  readily 
to  the  treatment  by  suggestion.  Not  the  least  important  fact  in  connec- 
tion with  it  is  that  drunkards  and  opium  eaters  are  cured  in  a  wondef- 
iully  short  time.  In  insomnia  it  never  fails.  The  time  is  not  far  distant 
•when  the  American  medical  profession  will  be  compelled  to  take  it  up, 
though  up  to  this  time  their  lack  of  information  has  deprived  them  of 
its  benefits. 


Extract  from  a  three-column  article  in  the  Chicago  Sunday 
Press,  November  22,  1891  : 

HYPNOTIC    INFLUENCES — AN     EVENING     WITH      DR.    SKXTl.s — A    CHILD    IS 
MADE     TO      BELIEVE       AMMONIA       IS      COLOGNE — A     WHOLE 
CLASS    HYPNOTIZED — MADE    TO    CALL     AT    A 
CERTAIN    HOUSE    NEXT    DAY. 

Picture  a  young  man  of  a  trifle  more   than   medium    height;  muscu- 
lar, well-balanced  figure;  head  well   set,  and   with   clean-cut,  handsome 


286 


PUBLIC    PKESS    COMMENTS. 


features;  a  high,  wide  sweep  of  intellectual  forehead;  dark-brown  hair, 
and  eyes  that  can  blaze  with  fire  or  be  as  soft  and  limpid  as  a  girl's. 
That  is  Carl  Sextus. 

Dr.  Sextus,  who  early  made  a  study  of  the  phenomenon  of  hypno- 
tism, astonished  the  students  and  scientists  of  Europe  with  the  display 
of  his  powers.  For  the  last  two  and  a  half  years  he  has  been  a  resident 
of  the  United  States,  and  for  twelve  months  or  more  has  lived  in  Chi- 
cago, being  now  located  at  No.  179  La  Salle  avenue. 

He  has  given  several  exhibitions  of  his  powers  in  this  city.  One  of 
the  most  interesting,  particularly  in  its  after  results,  was  at  the  home  of 

a  North  sider  a  few  days  ago. 
There  were  twenty  or  more 
people  present.  As  a  prelim- 
inary proceeding,  each  person 
who  was  willing  to  subject 
himself  to  the  hypnotic  force 
was  given  a  circular  disk  of 
polished  zinc,  with  a  center  of 
copper.  The  disks  were  pos- 
sibly two  inches  in  circumfer- 
ence, and  the  candidates  for 
hypnosis,  sixteen  in  number, 
were  told  to  hold  them  in  the 
palms  of  their  hands  and  look 
at  them  intently  for  ten  min- 
utes. Ten  minutes  is  a  long 


than   five,   six 
gave     unmistakable 
of      an      abnormal 
condition.         Three 


THOUGHT  IT  SMELLED  SWEETLY. 


time.      In   less 
persons 
evidence 
mental 

young  men  and  a  girl  of  per- 
haps 14  years  were  sent 
into  a  hypnotic  sleep,  from 
which  they  drifted  into  the  somnambulistic  state.  The  only  experiment 
of  interest  in  which  the  girl  was  a  participant  consisted  of  a  suggestion 
by  Dr.  Sextus  that  a  phial  of  ammonia  contained  perfumery.  The  bot- 
tle was  held  beneath  the  girl's  nose,  and  as  she  became  conscious  of  the 
presence  of  the  ammonia  she  expressed  the  liveliest  gratification.  Asa 
matter  of  fact  the  fumes  would  almost  cause  a  brazen  image  to  shed 
tears.  At  the  request  of  the  child's  parents  she  was  relieved  of  the  in- 
fluence, and  remained  a  spectator  of  the  ensuing  incidents. 


PUBLIC    PRESS    COMMENTS. 


The  three  young  men  as  subjects  were  all  that  a  hypnotist  could 
wish.  When  aroused  from  their  lethargy  they  obeyed  the  slightest 
suggestion  of  Dr.  Sextus  as  if  they  were  automata  of  which  he  held 
the  controlling  strings. 

After  twenty  minutes  or  more,  during  which  the  young  men  were 
thrown  into  cataleptic  conditions  and  made  to  act  under  all  manner  of 
hallucinations,  Dr.  Sextus  entered  upon  a  series  of  supreme  tests  of  his 
art.  To  one  of  his  subjects  he  said  sharply  and  distinctly :  "  Five  min- 
utes after  you  awaken,  go  to  the  piano  and  sing  '  Die  Lorelei,'  " 

To  the  second  he  said:     "While   your   friend   is   singing,   steal  his 
handkerchief  from  his  pocket 
and  hide  it.    Don't  let  any  one 
see  you  do  it." 

The  third  was  informed 
that  precisely  ten  minutes 
after  he  was  awakened  his 
right  hand  would  close  with 
cramp  and  he  could  not  open 
it.  The  suggestions  were  re- 
peated to  each  three  times,  and 
with  a  few  passes  of  his  hands 
and  a  peremptory  command 
they  were  aroused. 

The  conversation  was  gen- 
eral for  a  time,  several  persons, 
unobserved  by  the  subjects, 
holding  watches  Exactly  at 
the  elapse  of  the  five  minutes 
the  musician,  with  a  request 
that  he  be  pardoned  for  inter- 
rupting the  talk,  walked 
over  to  the  piano  and  began 
"  Ich  weiss  nicht  was  soil 
es  bedeuten"  to  his  own  accompaniment.  Then  the  sneak-thief  saun- 
tered over  and,  backing  up  against  his  friend,  scientifically  "nipped  "the 
handkerchief  according  to  direction,  and,  with  affected  unconcern, 
strolled  into  an  adjoining  room  and  hid  it.  Meantime  the  third  patient 
was  enjoying  the  situation.  He  had  been  told  of  the  injunctions  laid 
upon  his  fellow  subjects,  but  was  not  informed  that  he  was  also  under 
orders.  At  the  last  second  of  the  ten  minutes  an  expression  of  intense 


A  CATALEPTIC   HAND. 


288 


PUBLIC    PRESS    COMMENTS. 


suffering  came  over  his  face,  and  he  cried  out  that  his  hand  had  cramped 
and  he  could  not  open  it. 

Dr.  Sextus  presently    released  the   sufferer.     None  of  the  subjects 
could  give  any  connected  statement  of  what  they  had  done  while  in  the 
hypnotic  state.     They  had  felt  a  sensation  of  dizziness  and  a  succession 
of  slight  chills,  after  which  the  disks  which   they   held   had  faded  from 
sight.     Of  subsequent  events  they  had  but  confused  recollections. 
Again  one  of  them  was  subjected  to  the  hypnotic  influence. 
"  To-morrow  at  2  o'clock,"   said   Dr,   Sextus,   "you  will  call  at  this 
house,  take  a   seat  between   two   persons — who  were  named — and  fall 

asleep.  You  can  be  awakened 
only  by  these  two  men  reach- 
ing over  you  and  shaking 
hands." 

It  may  be  said  here  that 
the  proceeding  was  exactly  as 
indicated.  At  the  appointed 
hour  the  young  man,  who  had 
never  been  at  the  house  until 
the  night  before,  walked  in 
like  a  member  of  the  family 
and,  speaking  to  the  five  or  six 
members  of  the  last  night's 
party,  sat  down  between  the 
men  as  directed.  All  ordinary 
methods,  such  as  loud  calls  and 
violent  shakings,  had  no  effect; 
he  slumbered  on  with  remark- 
able persistence.  Then  the 
two  to  whom  Dr.  Sextus  had 
transferred  the  controlling 
power  clasped  hands  over  the 
sleeping  man  and  he  at  once 
awoke.  He  was  much  surprised  upon  learning  where  he  was.  He  had 
ro  recollection  of  what  had  passed  after  i  o'clock.  About  that  time  he 
felt  a  slight  dizziness,  which  was  succeeded  by  an  absence  of  conscious- 
ness. 

To  return  to  the  parlor  experiments.  Dr.  Sextus'  culminating  effort 
was  phenomenal.  He  created  a  physiological  paradox.  One  of  the  subjects 
was  placed  in  a  lethargic  condition  and  his  pulse  and  temperature  was 
taken.  With  his  hand  resting  upon  the  young  man's  head,  Sextus  said: 


BELIEVES  HIMSELF   A  CRIPPLE. 


PUBLIC    PRESS    COMMENTS.  ~dC) 

"  I  wish  your  temperature  to  fall  and  your  pulsations  increase." 
Withi-«  four  minutes  the  pulse  had  increased  in  rapidity  from  95  to  120 
beats  ~.o  the  minute.  An  application  of  the  thermometer  showed  that  the 
physical  temperature  had  decreased  2.2  degrees,  having  fallen 
from  98  to  96.8  degrees.  Then  the  action  was  reversed.  The  pulse  was 
lowered  to  80  beats  and  the  temperature  sent  to  101  degrees. 

Then  followed  several  experiments  in  which  the  power  of  the  hyp- 
notist to  transfer  the  control  of  the  subject  to  another  person  was 
demonstrated. 

The  series  was  concluded  by  Dr.  Sextus  obliterating  from  the  mem- 
ory of  one  of  the  subjects  all  recollection  of  the  events  of  the  evening. 
"You  have  had  a  pleasant  evening,"  said  the  hypnotist,  "but  beyond 
remembering  that  fact,  you  will  be  unable  to  recall  anything  that  has 
transpired."  Although  repeatedly  questioned  that  night  and  on  subse- 
quent days,  the  subject  could  recall  nothing;  not  even  the  place  where 
he  spent  the  evening.  A  few  days  later  Dr.  Sextus  gave  an  exhibition 
of  clairvoyance.  A  young  lady  was  thrown  into  a  somnambulistic  state 
and  in  this  condition  gave  detailed  accounts  of  the  doings  of  absent  per- 
sons and  descriptions  of  places  she  had  never  seen. 

Some  of  her  descriptions  of  places,  particularly  those  wherewith  any 
of  her  auditors  were  familiar,  were  tolerably  correct. 

"I  recognize  three  degrees  or  conditions  in  the  hypnotic  state," 
continued  Dr.  Sextus,  "these  are  the  lethargic,  somnambulistic  and 
cataleptic.  The  lethargy  is  first  produced,  then  either  of  the  others  at 
will.  Hypnotists  whose  instincts  are  purely  commercial,  claim  that 
they  are  able  to  cure  all  manner  of  diseases  by  the  exercise  of  their 
powers.  Organic  diseases  cannot  be  cured  by  means  of  hypnotism.  A 
disordered  tissue  will  not  regenerate  itself  in  obedience  to  command. 
I  might,  for  instance,  make  a  crippled  patient  believe  that  his  amputa- 
ted arm  had  grown  out  again,  but  I  could  not  make  the  new  arm  develop. 

"With  nervous  maladies  it  is  different.  These  succumb  more  readily 
to  hypnotism  than  to  drugs.  In  the  one  case  the  cure  is  permanent,  in 
the  latter  the  relief  is  often  but  temporary.  In  Sweden  and  in  Den- 
mark I  had  much  success  in  treating  victims  of  dipsomania,  both  in  and 
out  of  the  hospitals.  Old  men  and  the  youth  of  both  sexes,  that  is  per- 
sons between  the  ages  of  sixteen  and  twenty  years,  I  find,  are  the  most 
readilv  controlled.  Out  of  everv  three  or  four  persons  who  submit 
themselves  one  subject  is  generally  found.  This  is  about  the  proportion 
although  in  exhibitions  among  students  in  European  schools  I  have 
found  as  manv  as  fifty  subjects  among  sixty  young  men,  with  whom  I 
experimented.  In  America  I  have  found  that  a  great  many  people  \\ho 


290  PUBLIC    PRESS    COMMENTS. 

apply  for  h vpnotic  treatment  do  so  not  from  any  necessity  for  it,  but 
because  they  have  a  craving  for  a  new  sensation." 

In  Chicago  Dr.  Sextus  has  made  one  remarkable  cure  of  the  habit 
of  drinking,  and  that  without  the  knowledge  of  the  patient. 

At  one  of  his  exhibitions  there  appeared  a  man  of  middle  age.  He 
had  been  suffering  from  rheumatism  in  the  region  of  the  heart  and  his 
phvsician  prescribed  port  wine  as  a  remedial  agent.  The  malady  dis- 
appeared, but  the  love  of  wine  remained.  Dr.  Sextus  hvpnotized  or 
magnetized  the  man — whatever  you  will — and  at  the  request  of  his 
friends  said: 

"  If  you  attempt  to  drink  wine  or  any  liquor  containing  alcohol,  it  will 
make  you  sick." 

The  subject  was  then  aroused  and  nothing  said  to  him  about  the  ex- 
periment, except  that  he  had  succumbed  to  the  doctor's  personality. 

The  following  morning  as  usual,  a  bottle  of  wine  was  set  at  his 
plate.  He  poured  out  a  glassful,  but  could  not  drink  it.  Since  that 
time  he  has  had  no  desire  for  the  wine  which  was  before  a  daily  neces- 
sity, and  when  he  has  attempted  to  take  a  drink  in  a  social  way  he  has 
been  utterly  unable  to  do  so.  Dr.  Sextus  attempts  no  explanation  of 
these  phenomena.  He  simply  says,  "These  are  the  facts." 


From  Chicago  Sunday  Tribune,  February  23,  1890: 

EXPERIMENTS     IN     HYPNOTISM CURIOUS     SCENES     AT     THE     HOME     OF    A 

DANISH  HYPNOTIST. 

Some  highlv  interesting  experiments  in  hypnotism  were  made 
before  a  select  private  partv  at  No.  470  Wabash  avenue  one  evening 
last  week  by  Carl  Sextus,  a  Dane,  who  is  trying  to  introduce  hypnotism 
as  an  aid  to  medical  science  in  a  manner  in  which  it  has  been  used  for 
some  time  in  Europe,  especially  in  France.  The  theory  is  simple. 
While  in  the  hypnotic  state  the  patient  is  given  a  suggestion,  which  he 
retains,  unconsciously,  after  he  awakes.  The  impression  having  been 
made  upon  his  nervous  system  by  a  strong  will  power,  not  his  own,  it 
remains  with  him.  Mr.  Sextus  had  a  man  present  named  Andrew 
Scott,  a  workingman,  whom  he  was  treating  for  nervousness.  He 
placed  the  patient  in  the  hvpnotic  state  and  said  to  him:  "A  week 
from  to-day  you  will  feel  splendid.  You  will  not  be  nervous  at  all  any 
more."  After  repeating  this  several  times  he  awakened  the  patient. 

The  extraordinary  and  hitherto  unexplained  strength  of  sugges- 
tions given  to  a  subject  in  the  hypnotic  state  was  illustrated  by  several 
experiments.  A  man  named  Hans  Jurgenson  was  told  in  the  hypnotic 


PUBLIC    PRESS    COMMENTS. 


291 


state  to  pick  up  a  silver  dollar  from  a  table  and  return  it  to  its  owner, 
who  had  placed  it  there  unseen  by  the  subject. 

The  subject  got  up,  picked  up  the  coin,  and  returned  it  to  the  owner. 
The  subject  did  not  know  who  the  owner  was,  but  Dr.  Sextus,  who  con- 
trolled him,  did. 

A  Tribune  reporter  agreed  on  an  experiment  with  a  lawver  who 
was  present,  none  of  the  party  being  in  the  secret.  An  intelligent 
young  man,  who  is  in  the  insurance  business,  was  hypnotized  and  Dr. 
Sextus  placed  him  under  the  control  of  the  lawyer,  who  gave  his  in- 
structions. "Two  minutes  after  you  wake  up,"  he  said  to  the  subject, 
"you  will  pick  up  a  little  roll  of  twine  that  lies  on  the  table,  unravel  it, 
and  tie  it  to  a  baggage  check  which  has  the  number  100  on  it  and  is  at 
the  other  end  of  the  room."  This  check  was  in  the  reporter's 
pocket.  After  the  subject  awoke  from  the  hypnotic  state  he 
was  engaged  in  conversation.  Dr.  Sextus  did  not  know  what  in- 
structions had  been  given.  Exactly  two  minutes  after  he  awoke 
the  subject  rose  from  his  seat,  picked  up  the  string,  unraveled  it,  and, 
after  playing  with  it,  walked  across  the  room  to  where  the  reporter 
stood.  He  commenced  to  handle  some  of  the  things  on  a  bureau,  look- 
ing curiously  at  the  reporter  all  the  time.  He  was  evidently  nonplussed. 
If  he  was  to  follow  his  inclination,  he  said,  he  would  have  to  make  free 
with  some  of  the  things  on  the  bureau.  But  he  did  not.  He  stood  for  a 
while,  until  the  lawyer  called  to  him  to  turn  around.  When  his  back 
was  turned  the  reporter  placed  the  check  on  the  bureau.  Shortly  after 
the  subject  turned  around  again.  He  saw  the  check  and,  without  a 
word,  picked  it  up,  tied  the  string  to  it,  and  returned  to  his  seat,  evi- 
dently much  relieved. 

The  same  subject  when  in  the  hypnotic  state  was  told  by  Mr.  Sextus 
that  three  and  a  half  minutes  after  he  awoke  he  would  be  unable  to  see  the 
Tribune  reporter  and  would  ask  for  him.  The  persons  in  the  room 
would  tell  him  the  reporter  was  sitting  in  the  armchair  next  to  the 
lounge  on  which  the  subject  sat,  but  they  would  be  fooling  him,  for  it 
was  a  big  dog  on  the  chair.  After  waking  up,  at  the  expiration  of  three 
and  a  half  minutes  the  subject,  being  then  fully  conscious,  asked: 
"What  has  become  of  the  Tribune  reporter?  I  was  just  talking  to  him 
a  second  ago.  I  wanted  to  see  him."  Some  one  pointed  to  the  arm- 
chair where  the  reporter  was  sitting.  The  subject  looked  at  the  chair 
and  said:  "Doctor,  when  did  you  bring  your  dog  down?"  The  reporter 
rose  from  his  chair  and  started  toward  the  subject,  who  moved  back  as 
if  afraid  and  left  the  lounge.  The  reporter  sat  down  on  the  lounge. 
"Where  did  you  come  from?"  a*ked  the  subject,  recogni/ing  him. 


292  PUBLIC    PRESS    COMMENTS. 

Sextus  exhibited  the  usual  hypnotic  tests  of  stiffening  the  arms  and 
limbs  of  his  subject,  putting  him  in  a  cataleptic  state,  making  one  man 
eat  a  potato  for  an  apple  and  relishing  it;  and  smell  a  bottle  of  ammonia 
as  if  it  was  the  most  delicious  perfume.  By  suggestion  he  caused  his 
subject  to  have  a  cramp  in  his  hand  five  minutes  after  awakening  from 
the  hypnotic  state,  the  man  being  then  perfectly  conscious  and  remem- 
bering nothing  of  the  suggestion  given  him  when  he  was  in  the  hyp- 
notic condition. 


Extract  from  a  three-column  article  by  Victor  Debrimant  in 
the  Progressive  Thinker,  June  u,  1892: 

HYPNOTISM     AND     VITAL     MAGNETISM     FROM     THE      PRESENT     POINT     OF 

VIEW— ITS    DEVELOPMENT    AND    ADVANTAGE ALSO    A    DESCRIPTION 

OF     SOME     VERY      INTERESTING      HYPNOTIC      EXPERIMENTS. 

Hypnotist  Dr.  Carl  Sextus  for  the  last  couple  of  years  has  resided 
here  in  Chicago,  and  with  his  hypnotic  experiments  and  numerous  suc- 
cessful hypnotic  cures,  has  created  a  well-deserved  sensation,  and  is  an 
unusually  successful  hypnotist  and  healer.  It  is,  nevertheless,  to  be 
greatly  regretted  that  such  a  wonderful  gift  of  nature  is  not  more  highly 
appreciated,  or  more  generally  known.  The  great  number  of  dis- 
eases where  hypnotism,  properly  applied,  would  be  of  valuable  assist- 
ance, are  too  numerous  to  be  m-entioned  here;  but  a  brighter  future  is 
near  at  hand,  when  hypnotism  will  be  accepted  as  the  universal  remedy 
for  a  vast  number  of  diseases  that  mock  the  art  of  the  physicians  of 
to-day,  and  all  the  so  far  known  medicines  from  pharmacies. 

The  Chicago  press,  both  the  daily  and  Sunday  papers,  have  lately 
given  more  attention  to  the  science  of  hypnotism,  either  describing 
wonderful  cures  performed  in  Europe,  or  giving  long  articles  relating  in 
flattering  terms  the  wonderful  power  Dr.  Sextus  possesses. 

I  have  been  personally  acquainted  with  Dr.  Sextus  for  the  past  two 
years,  and  in  him  found  an  unusually  gifted  and  sincere  gentleman — a 
man  who  with  his  whole  mind,  body  and  soul  has  devoted  himself  to 
this  science;  and  it  must  be  admitted  that  it  is  to  the  benefit  of  suffering 
humanity  he  devotes  himself,  and  not,  as  is  generally  the  custom  with 
.a  good  cause,  to  exhibit  it  at  public  performances  and  concert  halls. 
No,  when  Mr.  Sextus  performs  hypnotic  experiments,  it  is  only  strictly 
in  private,  for  interested  physicians,  scientists  and  newspaper  men,  as 
.through  that  channel  he  is  able  to  circulate  knowledge  concerning  his  art. 


PUBLIC    PRESS    COMMENTS. 


293 


From  the  Sunday  Inter  Ocean,  Chicago,  January  19,  1890: 

CURING      BY      HYPNOTISM DECAY      IS      SUGGESTED      FOR     THE     OLD-TIME 

METHOD     OF     DOCTORING — RHEUMATISM     AND     NERVOUS    DISOR- 
DERS    QUICKLY     BOW     BEFORE      THE     HYPNOTIC     INFLU- 
ENCE  IT    IS     THE      PRINCIPLE     OF     SUGGESTION 

THAT    IS    MADE    AVAILABLE PRAC- 
TICAL   HYPNOTISM. 

Hypnotism  is  not  a  new  thing.  Under  some  form  and  varying  names 
it  has  been  manifest  and  its  phenomena  marveled  at  in  all  times.  But  it 
is  only  of  late  years  that  hypnotism  has  been  differentiated  from  simi- 
lar and  cognate  phenomena  and  force  results. 

The  spirit  of  this  century  is  keenly  analytic  and  has  a  distinct  ten- 
dency toward  classification.  Hypnotism  has  thus  been  separated,  par- 
tially, from  mesmerism  and  similar  little  understood  phenomena.  The 
experiments  of  Charcot  at  the  Salpetriere  were  conducted  with  great 
care,  but  the  great  majority  of  the  subjects  for  experiment  were  women, 
and  of  these  chiefly  hysterical  women  or  those  in  whom  the  nervous 
system  was  either  in  an  abnormal  or  very  highly  excited  condition  were 
selected. 

But  while  analytic,  the  nineteenth  century  is  above  all  else  utilita- 
rian. Scarcely  had  Charcot  and  his  scientific  confreres  formulated 
some  of  the  leading  rules  and  phenomena  and  to  a  certain  extent  de- 
fined the  conditions  of  this  extraordinary  mental  and  nervous  state,  before 
advanced  students  began  to  ask  whether  the  hypnotic  condition  might 
not  be  advantageously  used  in  the  treatment  and  cure  of  obscure  and 
difficult  disease  and  infirmities.  The  peculiarity  of  the  hypnotic  con- 
dition, or  state,  is  that  it  makes  the  subject  in  that  condition  susceptible 
to  suggestions  from  the  mind  or  will  of  the  operator,  these  suggestions 
completely  overcoming  the  ordinary  and  normal  sensations  and  ideas  of 
the  subject.  These  superinduced  sen>-ations,  or  ideas,  are  more  or  less 
affecting,  or  permanent  and  dependent  on  conditions  as  yet  but  little 
known.  Charcot  thus  suggested  to  various  of  his  hvpnoti/ed  subjects 
that  at  certain  definite  times  subsequent  to  their  coming  out  of  the  hyp- 
notic state  they  should  perform  certain  definite  acts,  and  these  experi- 
ments were  extraordinarily  successful.  This  is  the  indication  that  has 
been  followed  in  the  attempt  to  use  hypnotism  as  a  remedial  agent.  Dr. 
Carl  Sextus  has  been  practicing  this  method  for  a  year  past  in  this  city; 
and  in  a  long  interview  the  other  day  gave  some  highly  interesting  in- 
formation about  this  strange,  almost  7iiv>terious,  curative  agent. 


294  PUBLIC    PRESS    COMMENTS. 

According  to  Dr.  Sextus,  hypnotism  is  not  a  panacea  for  all  ills;  nor 
in  the  limited  class  of  cases  in  which  its  use  is  indicated  is  it  uniformly 
successful. 

"Not  every  one  can  be  hypnotized,"  said  the  Doctor.  "  All  somnam- 
bulists, and  nearly  all  highly  nervous  and  hysterical  people  are  very 
easily  hypnotized,  but  the  strongest  and  least  nervous  hard-working 
laborer  may  be  hypnotized  in  a  very  short  time,  while  out  of  a  dozen 
persons  of  apparently  identical  physical  and  nervous  constitution  not 
more  than  two  or  three  may  be  susceptible  to  hypnotic  sleep;  or,  on  the 
other  hand,  they  may  all  be  thrown  into  the  hypnotic  state.  The  sus- 
ceptibility depends  largely  on  physical  conditions  not  as  yet  well  under- 
stood, but  a  necessary  preliminary  is  the  inducing  of  a  quiet,  restful 
state  of  the  nervous  system.  My  method  of  procedure  when  I  have 
several  Subjects  is  to  seat  each  in  an  easy  attitude.  I  place  in  the  palm 
of  the  right  hand  a  little  zinc  hemisphere  painted  black,  in  the  center  of 
Avhich  is  a  polished  copper  point — this  for  men;  for  women  I  often  use  a 
light  wooden  hemisphere,  black,  with  a  faceted  crystal  in  its  center.  The 
right  hand  is  curved  across  the  body  and  the  head  slightly  bent  for- 
ward, with  the  eyes  steadily  fixed  upon  the  bright  point.  Absolute  im- 
mobility is  urged,  no  twitching  movements  of  the  fingers  or  swallowing 
movements  of  the  throat  permitted.  Presently,  in  successful  cases,  the 
right  hand  begins  to  waver,  then  there  is  a  nervous  tremor  of  the  eye- 
lids. Then  I  make  certain  passes  and  the  hypnotic  sleep  supervenes. 

"  There  are  other  methods,  but  they  depend  on  these  two  conditions 
mainly — nervous  and  muscular  immobility.  Either  of  two  conditions 
may  present  itself,  the  lethargic  or  the  cataleptic;  and  in  no  case  can  it 
be  foretold  which  of  the  two  it  will  be.  The  former  is  the  more  com- 
mon, however.  All  the  muscles  are  relaxed,  the  arms  fall  to  the  sides, 
the  head  droops  forward  or  falls  back,  there  is  paleness  and  stertorous 
breathing,  and  unless  the  hypnotizer  interferes  the  subject  would  fall  on 
the  floor.  In  the  cataleptic  condition  the  reverse  obtains;  the  muscles 
become  stiffened  and  tense,  until  the  body  becomes  rigid  as  a  bar  of  iron. 
In  such  cases  persistence  in  inducing  the  hypnotic  state  simply  increases 
this  cataleptic  condition,  and  there  is  nothing  to  be  done  but  to  bring  the 
subject  out  of  the  hypnotic  sleep.  In  the  lethargic  sleep,  however,  tem- 
porary catalepsy  can  be  produced  at  the  will  of  the  hypnotizer,  main- 
tained as  long  as  he  sees  fit,  and  then  made  to  disappear.  It  may  also  be 
localized,  so  to  speak,  and  some  extraordinary  results  obtained.  Thus,  I 
have  brought  the  last  joint  of  a  finger  and  that  one  nearest  the  hand 
into  a  sort  of  cataleptic  condition,  leaving  the  middle  joint  normal.  If 
now  I  tell — suggest  to — my  subject  that  the  affected  joints  are  insensible 


PUBLIC    PRESS    COMMENTS. 


295 


to  pain,  and  that  blood  would  not  flow  from  a  wound  there  inflicted,  I 
can  thrust  needles  through  the  flesh  of  those  joints  without  pain  to  the 
subject,  and  no  blood  will  flow,  while  the  faintest  prick  of  one  of  these 
needles  on  the  middle  joint  will  be  attended  bv  the  usual  sensation  of 
pain  and  effusion  of  blood.  Practically  no  trace  of  the  wound  remains 
after  the  subject  is  awakened,  and  no  pain  is  felt,  because  I  suggest  to 
him  that  he  shall  not  feel  any  on  awakening.  This  principle  of  sugges- 
tion is  what  is  available  in  hypnotism  as  a  remedial  agency.  The  dis- 
eases in  which  hypnotism  is  most  useful  and  available  are  the  various 
rheumatisms  and  rheumatic  conditions,  paralysis  not  dependent  upon 
spinal  lesions,  nervous  affections  of  the  bladder,  chronic  affections, 
cephalalgic  conditions,  neuralgias,  and  so  forth.  It  is  particularly  use- 
ful in  dipsomania  and  morphine  and  cocoaine  cases.  The  method  em- 
ployed is  practically  the  same  in  all  cases.  The  hypnotic  sleep  once 
induced,  it  is  suggested  to  the  patient  that  in  place  of  the  disturbed 
nervous  condition  a  quiet,  healthy  state  shall  exist.  During  the  sleep 
this  suggested  healthy  condition  exists,  and  the  suggestion  that  it  shall 
continue  to  so  exist  after  coming  out  of  the  hypnotic  state  prevails. 

"  Let  me  give  you  some  examples:  Ordinary  rheumatism  is  usually 
easily  cured,  but  no  amount  of  suggestion  will  ever  avail  to  remove 
chalkv  deposits  in  the  joints,  if  such  have  been  formed.  However,  even 
then  skillful  massage  movements,  with  the  added  suggestion,  will  aid  in 
having  even  these  occasionally  absorbed.  I  had  a  case  of  a  nervous 
paralvtic  not  long  since  who  had  used  crutches  for  vears  and  then  pro- 
gressed only  bv  swinging  his  lower  limbs  bodily  forward.  I  succeeded 
in  throwing  him  into  the  hypnotic  state,  and  while  in  that  condition 
suggested  to  him  that  in  live  minutes  he  should  stand  up  and  walk 
across  the  room  to  his  mother,  lie  did  so.  I  then  suggested  that  he 
should  thereafter  persevere  in  this  nervous  state  of  ability  to  walk  nat- 
urally. That  man  left  me  with  his  crutches  under  his  arm,  but  you 
must  recollect  that  in  his  case  there  was  no  organic  injury  of  the  spinal 
marrow,  and  his  inability  to  walk  was  founded  on  a  faUe  nervous  condi- 
tion which  the  hypnotic  suggestion  could  overcome  by  restoring  the 
normal  nervous  state.  In  the  case  of  confirmed  drunkards,  morphine 
and  cocaine  consumers  the  rationale  of  the  treatment  is  similar.  The 
hypnotic  sleep  is  induced  and  it  is  then  suggested  to  tht?  hypnotized  sub- 
ject that  he  abhor  either  drink  or  his  favorite  drug,  as  the  ca>e  may  be. 
He  actually  does  abhor  it  then.  Then  it  is  suggested  that  this  abhor- 
rence continue  for  some  definite  period.  This  is  almost  invariably  suc- 
cessful. At  the  termination  of  the  period  assigned  the  subject  i-  again 
thrown  into  hypnotic  sleep  and  a  longer  period  of  abhorrence  and  ah- 


296  PUBLIC    PRESS    COMMENTS. 

stinence  suggested.  These  periods  are  made  longer  and  longer,  the 
system  recovers  its  natural  tone,  and  finally  a  complete  cure  results. 

"  As  you  can  see,  we  are  in  the  infancy  of  the  science.  Its  possibili- 
ties are  immense  for  good  where  all  else  has  failed. 

"There  are  many  charlatans  and  many  who,  with  a  little  knowledge, 
are  yet  ignorant  of  the  force  they  employ;  but  medicine  passed  through 
this  same  stage,  and  the  time  will  come  when  hypnotism,  properly  un- 
derstood and  properly  applied,  will  prove,  perhaps,  the  grandest  curative 
agency  in  the  power  of  man  to  use — in  certain  cases.  The  hypnotizer 
is  not  a  god,  but  a  man,  and  his  power  is  limited  in  well-defined  bounds." 


Extract    from     a    four-column    article    in      The     Germania 
Monthly  Magazine  of  Chicago,  March  7,  1890: 

EXPERIMENTS    IX    HYPNOTISM. 

Who  has  read  of  the  wonderful  power  of  the  hypnotist  without  feel- 
ing a  desire  to  see  this  power  exercised? 

It  is  something  mysterious  and,  being  so,  is  extraordinarily  attract- 
ive. We  were,  therefore,  only  too  anxious  to  investigate  when  an  op- 
portunity presented  itself.  Shortly  after  the  appearance  of  the  last 
issue  of  this  paper  we  chanced  to  receive  an  introduction  to  Dr.  Carl 
Sextus,  "  Hypnotist."  We  had  scarcely  heard  of  the  gentleman  and  his 
successful  experiments  in  the  above  named  subject  when  we  sought  and 
were  successful  in  obtaining  an  interview  with  him.  He  is  a  Dane  by 
birth,  and  has  been  in  this  country  only  a  short  time.  We  soon  came 
to  the  conclusion  that  the  doctor  was  a  learned  and,  above  all,  a  very 
conscientious  man;  and  on  leaving  him  we  expressed  a  desire  to  see 
some  experiments  in  hypnotism  should  he  desire  to  accommodate  us 
with  an  exhibition  of  his  power  over  the  minds  of  others. 

We  have  since  had  the  pleasure  to  be  present  at  two  private  seances, 
given  at  his  rooms  for  the  benefit  of  the  press,  which  was  represented 
by  the  editor  of  Germania  and  reporters  from  the  Chicago  Herald  and 
Tribune. 


Extract  from  the  Rcligio-Philosophical  Jozirnal,  February 
13,  1892: 

CURES    EFFECTED    BY     HYPNOTISM. 

The  reference  to  Dr.  A.  A.  Liebeault's  work  was  sug- 
gested to  me  by  some  similar  cures  to  those  which  he  relates,  made  by 
a  young  Danish  hypnotist  now  in  Chicago.  Hypnotism  in  its  remedial 


PUBLIC    PRESS    COMMENTS.  2Q7 

aspect  is  a  matter  of  facts;  so  when  they  come  directly  under  our  eves 
they  naturally  arouse  an  intenser  interest  than  those  read  about.  I  be- 
lieve that  epilepsy  is  considered  beyond  the  means  of  our  orthodox 
medical  schools;  yet  right  before  me  I  have  such  a  case  radicallv  cured 
by  the  mentioned  hypnotist,  Mr.  Carl  Sextus.  Fortunately  I  personally 
know  Miss  M.  M.,  and  can  testify  to  the  facts.  For  six  years  or  more 
was  she  a  victim  to  this  dreaded  disease.  Until  her  perfect  restoration 
(from  early  childhood)  she  was  subject  to  the  most  frightful  headaches, 
sometimes  coming  on  every  other  day,  sometimes  lasting  for  a  week. 
Over  three  years  ago  chance  took  her  to  one  of  Mr.  Sextus'  hvpnotic 
exhibitions.  In  a  few  treatments  she  was  cured;  at  least  not  having  had 
the  slightest  relapse  to  the  present. 

Another  case  is  that  of  Mr.  E.  M.,  a  man  of  57,  verv  deaf  and 
defective  in  the  organs  of  speech.  Besides  this  the  right  arm  and  leg 
were  partially  paralyzed.  In  seven  treatments  he  was  healed — medical 
treatment  and  massage  both  proving  ineffectual. 

Mrs.  A.  J.,  suffering  from  nervous  diseases,  and  very  rheumatic,  was 
perfectly  cured  in  about  six  treatments. 

It  is  unnecessary  to  multiply  cases.  I  simply  desire  to  introduce  him 
to  the  readers  of  the  Journal  as  a  man  thoroughly  worthy  of  their  con- 
fidence, both  in  his  specialty  and  as  a  man.  As  to  what  extent  he  is  as- 
sisted by  higher  influences  it  is  impossible  for  me  to  say  ;  but  if  thorough 
honest v  is  a  magnet  for  such  powers,  Mr.  Sextus  may  be  considered 
well  attended.  His  power  does  not  lie  alone  in  hypnotic  treatment,  but 
is  efficacious  in  the  magnetic  passes.  A  sledge-hammer  is  not  necessary 
to  repair  a  watch — so  the  gentle  but  effective  passes  and  manipulation 
will  suffice  for  lesser  cases. 

When,  however,  other  means  have  failed  and  the  patient  is  amenable 
to  hypnotic  influence,  wonders  can  be  expected  which  may  be  pro- 
nounced little  less  than  miraculous.  To  such  I  heartily  recommend 
Mr.  Carl  Sextus.  JOSEPH  SINGEK. 


From  the  Progressive  Thinker,  January  28,  1892: 
mi. 


Dr.  Sextus  gave  some  very  pleasing  experiments  in  hypnotism  at 
the  parlors  of  the  Proirrrssin'  Thinker  a  few  evenings  ago.  They  were 
similar  to  those'  of  which  we  made  a  full  report  a  few  weeks  ago.  He 
has  made  many  subjects  in  this  city,  and  is  doing  a  good  work. 


29&  PUBLIC    PRESS    COMMENTS. 

Extract  from   a  four-column  article  in  Nordisk  Folkcblad, 
Chicago,  February  23,  1890: 

The  editor  of  this  paper  has  fresh  in  his  mind  all  the  wonderful  ex- 
periments that  have  so  frequently  been  spoken  of  in  the  Scandinavian, 
German,  and  American  newspapers.  It  was  with  great  interest  he  at- 
tended a  private  seance.  Prof.  Sextus  had  invited  about  one  hundred 
ladies  and  gentlemen.  He  intended  in  this  circle  to  show  that  he  was 
deserving  of  all  that  had  been  said  and  written  about  him. 

Those  invited  seated  themselves  in  the  hall.  Mr.  Sextus  requested 
some  of  the  young  gentlemen  present  to  come  upon  the  platform  and 
allow  him  to  try  his  power  and  influence  of  controlling  them.  Imme- 
diately twelve  young  men  stepped  up  and  offered  themselves,  willing  to 
let  Mr.  Sextus  experiment  with  them  if  they  were  susceptible.  They 
were  each  placed  on  a  chair  with  their  backs  to  the  audience.  A  metal 
button  was  placed  in  the  palm  of  each  of  their  right  hands,  with  direc- 
tions to  look  intently  on  the  point  in  the  center,  to  keep  their  attention 
to  it,  and  sit  perfectly  quiet.  Then  at  a  given  signal  from  the  hypno- 
tist the  orchestra  played  a  very  solemn  melody. 

Soon  the  hypnotist  approached  one  of  the  young  men,  made  some 
slow  passes  from  his  head  down  the  center  of  his  back  and  down  his 
arms — -\vith  bent,  outspread  fingers,  letting  them  slowly  pass  over  the 
young  man's  body.  The  hypnotist's  eyes,  having  a  look  of  something 
supernatural  in  them,  were  concentrated  on  the  subject. 

A  painful  stillness  spread  over  the  audience  which  awaited,  with  im- 
patience, what  was  going  to  happen.  The  orchestra  continued  to  play 
the  same  melody.  After  about  fifteen  minutes'  work  the  hypnotist  had 
succeeded — five  had  gone  to  sleep — and  the  hypnotist  had  found  his 
subjects. 

The  scenes  that  followed  were  beyond  description — so  wonderful 
did  it  seem  to  the  audience.  The  subjects  were  perfectly  powerless  in 
the  hypnotist's  hands. 

One  was  made  to  believe  that  it  was  raining  very  hard,  and 
the  sleeping  man  very  carefully  turned  his  pants  up  at  the  bottom  to 
avoid  getting  them  wet.  The  hypnotist  then  told  him  he  had  come  to  a 
big  sea;  he  immediately  pulled  off  his  coat  and  vest,  threw  himself  upon 
a  table  (that  had  been  brought),  and  commenced  to  swim  in  the  imag- 
inary sea.  Several  scenes  were  very  comical,  especially  when  Mr.  Sex- 
tus gave  a  subject  a  pillow,  telling  him  it  was  a  little  child  and  that  he 
was  its  nurse.  With  a  loving  embrace  the  subject  took  the  pillow  and 
unbuttoned  his  vest — intending  to  nurse  it — at  the  same  time  s;nging 


PUBLIC    PRESS    COMMENTS.  299 

quite  loudly,  "  Hush-a-bye,  baby,"  etc.,  to  it.  A  chair  was  handed  to  one 
of  the  subjects,  the  hypnotist  telling  him  it  was  a  very  pretty  young 
lady,  and  requesting  the  sleeping  youth  to  kiss  her  right  on  her  mouth. 
He  kissed  the  back  of  the  chair  several  times  with  a  lover's  fondness; 
then,  lifting  the  chair  up  in  his  arms  he  began  to  waltz  with  his  beloved, 
taking  good  care  to  keep  time  to  the  music,  which  was  changed  to  a 
waltz  for  his  benefit.  In  short,  the  subjects  were  powerless  automata 
in  the  hypnotist's  hands.  The  whole  exhibition  showed  the  sleepers 
that,  instead  of  lying  quietly  in  their  beds,  dreaming,  they  themselves 
performed  the  dreams  in  all  their  details.  An  act  of  sleep-walking  fol- 
lowed, but  without  the  painful  aspects  that  generally  occur  at  such 
scenes,  and  without  anv  snoring  sound  whatever.  It  recalled  to  me 
Madame  Ristori's  loud  snoring  in  the  sleep-walking  scene  of  "  Macbeth," 
and  I  consequently  expected  to  hear  something  similar;  but  in  that  I 
•was  mistaken.  Instead  of  that  the  sleeping  vouths  appeared  to  be  per- 
fectly happy,  and  they  gave  no  signs  whatever  of  anything  unpleasant. 
There  was  no  indication  of  vfcnv  nervous  twitchings  of  their  muscles; 
their  eyelids  were  lowered  and  a  slight  paleness  prevailed.  One  thing 
I  took  particular  notice  of  was:  The  hypnotist  raised  one  of  the  sub- 
jects'head  up  and,  pointing  to  the  ceiling,  said:  "See  what  beautiful 
angels  are  up  there  in  the  skies!  Listen!  How  lovelv  their  music 
sounds!"  and  the  sleeping  youth's  face  took  on  a  spiritual  and  clear  ex- 
pression; beseechingly  he  stretched  both  hands  toward  the  imaginary 
angels.  Surely  he  had  never  seen,  in  his  normal  condition,  a  more 
beautiful  sight  than  this  which  the  hvpnotist  now  brought  to  his  imag- 
ination. We  must  admit  that  the  scenes  were  trulv  wonderful;  yet  still 
more  wonderful  experiments  were  performed  later. 

One  of  the  subject's  arm  was  stretched  out,  the  hvpnotist  made  some 
passes  along  the  muscles,  and  it  became  as  rigid  and  stiff  as  a  piece  of 
wood.  Dr.  Bockstrom,  who  was  present,  was  no\v  asked  to  hold  a 
lighted  candle  to  the  subject's  eves.  Dr.  Bockstrom  did  as  he  was  re- 
quested, without  there  being  anv  twitching  whatever  or  winking  with 
the  eyelids,  something  that  would  be  impossible  for  anv  person  in  a  wak- 
ing condition;  thus  we  had  undeniable  proofs  of  actually  having  som- 
nambulism In-fore  us — and  no  fraud.  The  hvpnotist  now  made  it  impos- 
sible for  one  of  the  subjects  to  remember  his  own  name.  Whenever 
Mr.  Sextus  stretched  his  hand  toward  the  subject's  forehead  his  knowl- 
edge of  ever  having  had  a  name  was  completely  gone;  but,  as  soon  as 
the  operator  took  his  hand  awav,  the  subject  could  not  only  remember 
his  name  but  also  write  it  down  on  paper. 


3OO  PUBLIC    PRESS    COMMENTS. 

Yet  still  more  singular  experiments  were  performed.     Two  subjects 
were  placed  standing  up  with  their  backs  to  each  other.     Then  by  mak- 
ing some  magnetic  passes  down  the  subjects'  heads  they  were  as  if  glued 
together,  and  by  no  power  from   any   of  the   audience    could    they  take 
their  heads  away;  then  the  hypnotist    said:     "In    five    minutes,  not  be- 
fore, you  can  each  take  your  head  away"  (the  time  was  set  by  one  of  the 
audience).     Watches  were  now  brought  out  and   the   minutes   counted. 
During  this  time  the    hypnotist    was    standing  and    quietly    conversing 
with  some  of  the  gentlemen   present,   as   unconcernedly   as  though  he 
had  nothing  at  all  to  do  with  the  subjects.     In  exactly  five  minutes'  time 
the  two  young  men  were  able  to  take  their   heads   apart;  both   subjects 
had,  without  knowing  it,  kept  the  time  to  the  second.     One  subject  was 
commanded  to  imitate  everything  the  hypnotist  did.     With  tight  closed 
eyes,  and  unconscious,  the  subject   stood  with  his  back  to  the  hypnotist 
imitating  every  motion   and  grimace   the   latter   made,   even  to  the  ex- 
pressions  of  pleasure   or  anger,  without  there  being    any   connection 
whatever  between  the  hypnotist  and  his  subject.     Yet  another  singular 
experiment  followed.     Shortly  before    waking  one  of  the    subjects  he 
was  commanded    that,  five    minutes    after   awaking  (the  time  again  be- 
ing set  by  one  of  the  audience),  he  should  tell  the  audience  of  having  a 
severe  headache  in  his  right  knee.     The  hypnotist  then  waked  him  up. 
Exactly  five  minutes  afterward  the  subject  said   to  Dr.  Backstrom,  who 
was  still  upon  the  platform,  that  he  (the  subject)   felt  splendid,  only  he 
had  an  awful  headache  in  his  right  knee.     This  also  was  a  proof  of  the 
subjects'  obedience,  even  after  being  waked  up — the  suggestions'  effects 
only    leaving     them    when     the     hypnotist's     orders    were    completed. 
The     wonderful     experiments     were    thus     closed.      I     could     scarcely 
have    believed    my    own    eyes    if    there    had    not    been    others    present 
(and  amongst  them  a  number  of  physicians  of  a  very  high  standing) 
to    confirm    these    hypnotic    and     somnambulistic     phenomena.       Mr. 
Sextus    will    also    here    in     Chicago,    as    in    other    towns,    after    his 
public  seances,  give  hypnotic  and   magnetic  treatments,  the  latter  being 
treatment  by  manipulations  without  the   hypnotic  sleep,  by  which  Mr. 
Sextus  has  cured  a  number  of  people.     Mr.  Carl  Sextus  is  a  young  man 
who  devotes  his  life  and  soul    to   his    art,    and    who    never    avoids    any 
trouble  to  show  the  public   the   best   and    most    available    in    the  line  of 
study  and  work  which  he  has  adopted.     I  will    not  endeavor  to  explain 
the  dim  and  mysterious  in  the  so-called  animal    magnetism   for  the  rea- 
son that  the  phenomena  are  too   little  understood,  at  present,  even  in 
the  most  intellectual  circles;  still  long  articles  about  Mr.  Sextus  have 
been  published  in  the  best  and  most  prominent  papers  in  England,  Russia, 


PUBLIC    PRESS    COMMENTS  301 

France,  Germany,  and  the  Scandinavian  countries,  where  he  has  often 
appeared  and  made  a  great  stir  with  his  hypnotic  experiments. 


Extract  from  a  two-column    article    in    the    Chicago    Inter 
Ocean,  May  9,  1889: 

A  subject  was  found  whose  body  was  strong  and  robust  if  his  will 
was  not.  The  Professor  made  the  heart  of  the  subject  beat  fast  or  slow 
at  will,  Dr.  Anderson  testing  the  pulse.  The  pulsations  were  made  to 
reach  as  high  as  120  and  as  low  as  66  to  the  minute.  A  bottle  of  am- 
monia was  placed  at  his  nose.  He  was  told  that  it  was  cologne,  and  he 
inhaled  the  pungent  odor  with  as  much  delight  as  if  it  were  the  odor  of 
sweet  violets.  Several  men  in  the  audience  thought  the  bottle  contained 
something  else  besides  ammonia.  They  put  their  noses  to  it,  but  with- 
drew them  as  quicklv  as  if  they  had  been  burned.  The  Professor  then 
made  him  smell  of  his  own  hand,  telling  him  that  it  was  a  bottle  of  am- 
monia, and  the  subject  showed  all  the  signs  of  having  inhaled  the  burn- 
ing fumes  of  that  liquid.  The  Professor  then  caused  the  subject's  body 
to  become  perfectlv  rigid.  His  heels  were  placed  on  one  chair  and  his 
head  on  another,  with  no  support  between  them.  Two  men  tried  to 
bend  the  rigid  body  of  the  man  by  pressure  upon  his  hips,  but  could 
not  do  so. 

Two  women  were  willing  to  become  subjects.  One  of  them  was  very 
slight  and  the  other  heavy.  The  former  was  made  to  pluck  imaginary 
flowers  and  inhale  their  imaginary  odors,  to  see  imaginary  angels  in  an 
imaginary  heaven,  and  to  catch  an  imaginary  bird  and  smooth  its 
ruffled,  imaginary  feathers. 

But  the  fleshy-  woman  furnished  the  fun.  The  Professor  made  her  be- 
lieve she  was  a  little  school  girl,  and  she  jumped  the  rope  with  a  juven- 
ility that  was  true  to  life.  She  also  gave  a  tea-party  on  the  stage  to  im- 
aginary guests,  and  acted  the  hostess  with  all  the  charm  of  one  of 
Chicago's  "  two  hundred." 


Extract  from   Chicago  Dailv  Herahi,  February  7,  1890: 

THOUGHT  UK  WAS  PRESIDENT  — A    SI  NCifl.AR  I.  Y    1  NTKR  KSTI  X<  i     IM1IHI- 

TION  OK  A  HYPNOTIST'S  POWER. 

A  stalwart  young  butcher's  apprentice  walked  into  the  //rr<//W.<  local 
room  last  evening,  inquired  for  the  city  editor,  and  announced  himself 
as  President  Harrison.  There  was  a  slight  glitter  to  his  eyes,  but  his 


3O^  PUBLIC    PRESS    COMMENTS. 

face  was  expressionless  and  the  features  almost  rigid.  Taking  two  car- 
rots from  his  overcoat  he  handed  one  to  his  host  and  put  the  other, 
small  end  foremost,  between  his  lips  just  as  a  man  would  do  with  a 
cigar.  Taking  a  box  of  matches  from  his  pocket,  he  lighted  one  and 
proceeded  to  light  his  carrot.  Almost  immediately  he  relapsed  into  a 
trance,  still  standing  as  he  was  before;  and  his  left  arm  gradually  rose 
until  it  was  at  right  angles  and  there  remained.  This  condition  lasted 
for  over  five  and  one-half  minutes.  In  the  meantime  there  had  gath- 
ered about  the  hypnotic  patient,  for  such  the  voung  man  really  was, 
Professor  Carl  Sextus,  the  hypnotist;  Robert  Lindblom,  the  well-known 
board  of  trade  man;  Howard  Henderson,  C.  W.  Fullerton,  the  lawyer, 
and  Louis  Pio,  the  Danish  editor,  and  several  others  in  the  party  who 
had  set  out  from  the  hypnotist's  house  to  follow  the  young  butcher  after 
he  had  been  hypnotized,  and  instructed  to  do  exactly  as  he  did. 

At  the  expiration  of  five  and  a  half  minutes,  which  was  the  time 
agreed  on,  the  hypnotic  trance  state  continued  but  the  arm  sank  to  the 
side,  the  patient  seemed  less  rigid  in  his  muscles,  and  his  pulse,  which 
had  been  thumping  a  way  at  124  beats  to  the  minute,  became  more  nor- 
mal. The  party  accompanying  the  Professor  was  greatly  interested  in 
what  they  believe  to  be  the  most  interesting  and  the  least  cultivated  of 
all  the  branches  of  medical  science  and  treatment. 


Extract  from  a  four-column  article  in  the  Progressive 
Thinker,  February  6,  1892,  by  Louis  Pio,  the  well-known 
Danish  editor : 

"  Here  is  a  cup  of  coffee  and  a  good  cigar.  When  I  awaken  you, 
drink  the  coffee,  light  the  cigar  and  walk  home  through  the  streets. 
Your  legs  will  be  all  right  hereafter,  and  you  may  dispense  with  your 
crutches,"  said  Dr.  Sextus. 

It  is  a  very  common  mistake  to  think  that  only  nervous  diseases  can 
be  cured  through  hypnotism.  Now,  certainly,  the  nervous  form  a  large 
percentage  of  the  human  troubles  in  our  time,  but  still  the  very  nature 
of  the  hypnotic  power  shows  that  it  may  be  possible  to  influence  a  sick 
person,  even  if  his  nerves  are  all  right.  If,  as  we  have  shown,  the  will 
of  the  hypnotist  is  sufficient  to  retard  or  quicken  the  pulse,  to  prevent 
or  cause  blisters,  to  cause  pain  to  disappear  and  so  on,  it  may  also  be 
possible,  by  a  suitably  worded  command,  to  stop  a  local  inflammation  or 
the  formation  of  a  cancer;  to  cure  indigestion;  nay,  even  to  conquer  the 
all-prevailing  corn.  Think  of  it,  ladies  and  gentlemen! 


PUBLIC  PRESS  COMMENTS.  303 

* 

As  soon  as  the  hypnotizer  is  physician  enough  to  know  exactly  what 
ails  the  patient,  he  can  give  the  suggestion  to  the  independent  organs  of 
the  body  and  they  will  acknowledge  his  will  as  supreme  and  obey. 

Where  lies  the  limit,  no  one  can  tell;  but  it  looks  really  as  if  much- 
troubled  humanity  had  found  the  "Universal  Remedy ;"  and  why  not? 

What  is  hypnotism  in  this  relation  but  using  nature's  own  force  to 
re-establish  the  natural  pulsations  and  functions  of  life  through  the 
body  ? 

The  only  seemingly  unnatural  thing  is  that  this  absolute  power  over 
the  body  of  a  man  is  not  given  to  himself,  but  to  another;  but  this  state 
of  things  may,  however,  be  changed  by  later  discoveries.  As  it  now 
stands,  the  new  cure  method  may  bring  hope  and  realization  of  hope  to 
many  poor  invalids  whom  the  physicians  have  given  up  as  incurable,  or 
as  marked  victims  of  a  near  and  painful  death. 


Extract  from  a  four-column  article  in  the  Chicago  Sunday 
Herald,  August  17,  1890: 

HYPNOTISM. 

This  science  is  being  very  thoroughly  investigated  in  Europe  by  such 
prominent  scientists  as  Deleuze,  Charcot,  Beaunis,  Bernheim,  Barety, 
Preyer,  Gessmann  and  others  who  are  striving  to  apply  it  to  the  treat- 
ment of  nervous  and  mental  diseases.  It  has  been  used  for  this  purpose 
with  great  success  abroad  by  the  well-known  Professor  Carl  Sextus,  now 
of  this  city.  He  deserves  more  success  than  he  has  met  with  here,  as 
he  is  a  thorough  master  of  this  science,  and  is  particularly  adapted  for 
its  practice  among  those  afflicted  with  above-mentioned  complaints. 

H.  J.  B. 


Extract  from   the  Daily  Skandinaven,  February   23,    1889: 

Carl  Sextus,  the  hypnotist,  delivered  a  public  lecture  upon  Hyp- 
notism, accompanied  by  experiments,  at  Aurora  Turner  Hall,  on  last 
Wednesday  evening.  The  seance  was  witnessed  by  a  large 
audience;  and  we  venture  to  su/  that  no  one  went  away  dissatisfied. 
Mr.  Sextus  received  frequent  and  enthusiastic  applause;  and,  finally, 
he  had  to  appear  after  the  seance  was  over.  Those  present  were 
unanimous  in  the  opinion  that  the  seance  was  highly  interesting  in 
conduct  and  extremely  brilliant  in  effects. 


304  PUBLIC    PRESS    COMMENTS. 

Extract  from  a  seven-column  article  in  the  Chicago  Illus- 
trcrct  Ugcblad,  February  28,  1889: 

I  had  both  heard  and  read  a  good  deal  about  Mr.  Sextus  before  I 
met  him,  and  I  must  confess  that  at  the  time  I  shook  my  head  rather 
mistrustingly  when  I  was  told  of  his  singular  performances  in  other 
places.  How  surprised  was  I  to  find  not  a  wizard,  but  a  young  man  of 
pleasant  countenance,  winning  manner,  fluent  speech  and  modest— 
perhaps  a  little  too  modest — appearance.  Personally,  he  inspired  con- 
fidence and  sympathy;  and  there  was  in  his  smile  something  amiable, 
which  promised,  upon  better  acquaintance  with  him,  an  opportunity  of 
getting  nearer  the  secrets  of  his  art.  I  therefore  invited  him  to  be  my 
guest,  and,  by  a  private  seance,  to  convince  myself  and  some  other 
infidels  of  the  truth  of  his  art,  and  he  very  willingly  consented  to  my 
proposal.  Dr.  Carl  Sextus  is  of  medium  height,  his  figure  is  powerful 
and  well  built,  and  signifies  a  strong  constitution.  His  features  are 
regular,  inclined  to  be  a  little  dark,  but  very  healthy;  his  hair  is  black 
and  his  eyes  are  dark,  intelligent  and  full  of  fire.  His  gaze  has  at  times 
a  piercing,  sharp  look— caused  by  frequent  strain — but  in  the  general 
conversation  it  only  denotes  life  and  good  nature. 

The  seance  began.  "  Now  you  are  a  rooster,"  and  the  subject 
crowed  as  proudly  as  though  he  was  calling  all  the  chickens  in  the 
morning.  "  Laugh!  Sing!  Smile!"  were  the  commands,  one  after  the 
other;  and  they  were  immediately  obeved. 

The  intellect  stands  still.  The  mind  gives  itself  up.  We  were  con- 
ducted to  reward  the  hypnotist  with  what  you  might  call  a  petrified 
astonishment,  that  was  pictured  on  our  faces.  The  hypnotist's  power 
cannot  be  described — it  must  be  witnessed. 

"That  is  a  wonderful  power  you  have,"  was  the  general  remark  to 
the  hypnotist. 

"Yes,"  he  replied,  "so  it  is.  I  do  not  quite  understand  it  myself.  I 
work,  day  by  day,  trying  to  unravel  and  get  to  the  bottom  of  this  secret, 
of  which  it  seems  I  have  found  the  key.  I  am  convinced  that  I  have, 
at  least,  crossed  the  threshold  and  discovered  many  new  truths  in  this 
hitherto  much  neglected  realm  of  science." 

THE    END. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY,  LOS  ANGELES 
EDUCATION  AND  PSYCHOLOGY  LIBRARY 

This  book  is  DUE  on  the  lasl  da( 


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